Hi no Ishi: Ninja tag Arc
by Fayth85
Summary: Hi no Ishi - the will of fire. Everything is falling apart! Tatsuko isn't even sure she can repair it any longer. How will our hero come to her rescue? Will there be a happy ending?
1. Arc1: It begins

**__****_I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P_**

**__******Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc

**_A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect out favourite blond dobe?_**

* * *

Umino Iruka sat at his desk, preparing for his new class. As always, that meant going over everything he had done with his previous class: what went right, what could be improved. One thing he couldn't resist though, was thinking about all the fun he had with his class. Sure, they were no longer in his care, but each and every student he ever taught would always be his.  
Slowly, his eyes scanned the room. The room itself was not that large. It sat a maximum of two teachers and fifteen student - three rows of five chairs, with each row separated by a twelve inch incline with stairs on either side of the room - but there was enough room to showcase the _jutsu_ he would teach his students. Purely out of habit, he pictured each of his previous students, where they sat, who they would socialize with. He knew his students. Not just the standard business card information, but the students themselves.  
He still remembered how hard he fought not to laugh when Inuzuka Sashimi fell in the water from the balance exercise with her puppy. It reminded him of his own time as a student and the pranks he pulled. Embarrassingly enough, both pup and master were afraid of water, so they were both panicking and dog paddling to the side. What made it funny, was that the puppy was teaching her at the time. He stayed close enough, so he knew she wasn't in any actual danger.  
Then there was the target practice with Yumi shooting apples off of Kurama Miho's head as a dare. He off course punished them, and Kohaku Baru who dared them, but it was very impressive to see. Yumi was allowed to graduate a full year early because of it.  
As for Minoji and Shibire? Those two lived like cats, curious about everything! They probably wouldn't live to see age 15 if that kept up! And as their sensei, he made it a point to **continuously **point that out, but would they listen?

Iruka took a few deep breaths, knowing that he had to calm down. Those two always got under his skin.

Still, with everything he'd been through with them, he was proud. Not just as a teacher, but as a Konoha Chuunin. Some of them would be something special in time, he felt it in his bones. Like Kohaku Natsumi, she was the brightest in the class. She always had top grades, was well liked and worked well with her second cousin Baru - and was likely the only one the oaf (said with all the love the man could muster) would actually listen to. Iruka had dealt with pranksters in his time, even used their shenanigans to help the class at times, but Baru just seemed mean spirited, always speaking in an almost barking voice. Needless to say, Sashimi had a field day with teasing the boy, always trying to 'mate him' with her female pup, Sou. He was one of the few he was glad to get rid of. But, even so, he had managed to help Baru somewhat.  
"_Sensei_, you and Natsumi-_nee_-_chan _are only ones that care for Baru. Everyone else think Baru stupid. Baru not like that. That why Baru fight so much." He remembered the boy saying (barking?) once. Of course, Iruka gave him the '_try to earn respect, not instil fear_' speech everyone must have heard at least once in their lives.  
However, in hind sight he was a bit disappointed with his class. Even though they all passed the final exams - including Baru, though just barely - two of the four teams were sent back to the academy by their _jounin sensei_. Iruka of course got a full report as to who was sent back and why, which he liked reviewing before receiving a new class.  
'_Natsumi-chan's team was sent back? Just goes to show you that you can never tell what will happen once they leave the academy._' Iruka red further. It seemed that Hatake Kakashi thought that they lacked any kind of team work. All his reports came back that way. He was usually right, so that meant that Iruka had to pay closer attention to the teamwork from his students.  
'_Okay, so that takes care of what needs improving: teamwork, taijutsu and battle tactics. Now how do I want to do that? I guess I'll need to take a slightly more practical approach this time around._' He thought fervently, trying to figure out new ways to improve those subjects. He wrote down a few key points he wanted to look at, along with a few ideas he would run by the_Hokage _for approval later on.

"Good morning_, sensei_!" The first students were already showing up. He had all their files, of course, but he preferred to meet them before reading about them. That way he could compare his first impression with the opinions of their former teachers.  
"Good morning, you two are certainly earlier than I expected." Iruka greeted them, smiling. The two girls seemed on friendly terms and obviously had known each other long before being assigned to his class. The blonde was clearly a Yamanaka, though he wasn't sure about the pink haired one. Both wore their hair in a loose ponytail that reached the small of their back. '_Girls and long hair seem to go hand in hand._'  
Not long after another pair showed up: one a brown haired, chubby boy with the _kanji _for food on his shirt, the other one raven haired and carefree, dragging his feet. An Akamichi and a Nara, no doubt about it.  
Right behind them came a slightly taller boy. Black hair, red fang-like tattoos on his cheeks, canine eyes, and a young puppy on his head. Inuzuka, no real challenge there.

Slowly, the classroom was filled. Iruka knew that he was getting twelve students in total, which was usually the case. Four teams of three. The problem was, there were only eleven students present.  
"Heh heh! Finally made it! Geez, that took longer than expected." The last student finally showed up. Exactly 3 minutes and 22 seconds late.  
"You look quite pleased with yourself. I take it you managed to find us at your leisure?" Iruka asked, masking all emotion completely.  
'_Where the heck is 'Yurleighshire'?_' Naruto asked himself. '_Must be some secret location I had to go to first before coming here. Aw man, no one told me about that! This SUCKS! Okay... play it cool, Naruto. You are supposed to be a ninja, so think like one..._'  
"_Hai, sensei_! I'm sorry about being late, but this map was worthless. So I ended up taking the long way around to get here." The blond explained calmly.  
That seemed to calm down the academy teacher enough to earn him a seat in the class. "Very well, just sit down and let's begin. Quickly." But Iruka thought the boy would be the perfect 'volunteer' for the first _jutsu _explanation.  
"Good morning everyone, my name is Umino Iruka. I would like you all to call me Iruka-_sensei_, is that understood?" He looked at each student closely, gauging their personalities and attentiveness.  
"_Hai_!" Came the uniform reply.

"All right, since I see no familiar faces here, I want you all to take turns introducing yourself to your classmates and to me. You will stand up, state your name and why you want to be a _shinobi_. And if you want you may announce anything special you have to say after that, but that is not required of you. Let's start with you." Iruka pointed to the blond girl in the front row, who was of the first to show up, farthest to his left. She stood up slowly, as if she wanted people to watch her carefully.

"I am Yamanaka Ino, 11 years old. I want to be a _kunoichi _because they are soo cool." Alert, direct and typically in love with an idea. The Yamanaka clan specializes in _genjutsu, _infiltration and interrogation... next.  
"My name is Haruno Sakura, 11 years old. I am here to learn to become the strongest and the best _kunoichi _I can be." _She is trying to stand out, while still showing humility. Can't say I'm familiar with her clan though, she's a bit of a wild card... next.  
_"Aburame Shino. I will be training anyways, might as well get paid for it." _Honest, to the point and efficient. The Aburame clan specializes in their own breed of jutsu, I'll have to be careful how I deal with this one... next.  
_"I am Akamichi Choji, 11 years old. I heard that _shinobi _get the best snacks in the village, so I HAVE to get me some of that!" _Focused on little other than food, but that comes with his clan'sjutsu. Taijutsu specialists... next.  
_"Name's Inuzuka Kiba, 11 years old. I'm here to show that the Inuzuka clan _shinobi _are still the best there is, and the money and the food aren't bad for motivation either." _Cocky, calculating and attentive to his fellow students, interesting. The Inuzuka clan specializes in taijutsu and tracking... next.  
_"Nara Shikamaru, 11 years old. And being a _shinobi _gets me out of the house and away from nagging women." _Partly alert, indirect and spoke in an almost whining voice. The Nara have their own breed of jutsu, kageton-users I believe. It will be interesting how I deal with that, maybe I'll add a few simple shadow element jutsu just for him? Not likely, next.  
_"I-i am H-hyuuga Hinata, 11 years old. I want to become a _shinobi _to m-make my f-family proud of me." _Shy, gentle with words and voice, but her eyes hold a determination that is hard to pinpoint, but impossible to ignore. Tracking and taijutsu specialized clan again. Is this the Hokage's way of saying that I'm getting lucky? Not like him to be so determined to make it easy an academy teacher, oh well... next.  
_"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, remember that name cause I'm gonna be the next _Hokage, dattebayo!_ I also like ramen from the IchiRaku ramen shop." _Bold, rash and cocky... he's gonna be trouble._"What are you laughing about, _teme_?" Naruto shouted loudly and pointed at the offender.  
"Uchiha Sasuke, and I am not required to answer that question." _Pensive, cocky and to the point, yet very aloof. As well, he is the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan now. At least the only one still welcomed here. Fire users, I believe. As well, there is that bloodline trait of theirs. Will have to keep a close eye on this one... next.  
_"Yukikami Hikaru. I am here to improve what I can expect from myself and my fellow _shinobi_." The boy had pale skin, almost sickly pale, with matching silvery white hair. He had no iris whatsoever, only a small dot for the pupil was actually visible. His pants were white with black splotches in a camouflage design and matching _shinobi_sandals, with a pure white tank top and a white jacket with a furry hood. Being about average height helped him blend in somewhat, but nothing he wore or did hid the fact that he was lanky and ungracefully bland looking. No one would ever confuse the boy for a heart throb. And the diagonal scar - which stretch from just over his left eye, down over his nose and connected to the right side of his slightly swollen mouth - wasn't helping. Puberty was obviously not being very nice to him either. _Yukikami clan? Interesting. Raiton users, I think. As well, they were famous for their battle prowess... next.  
_"Hey everyone, I'm Senju Tatsuko, 11 years old and a top _kunoichi _in training. I'm here to keep an eye on my friend, Kitsunaga Yuuna." This girl almost sang as she spoke. Her blonde, almost white, hair was brushed tight over the top of her head and braided into three pig tails and tucked into her oversized deep blue jacket, with black overtones. It kind of made you wonder what she had to hide. Anyway, she wore a deep blue cargo pants with three bulgy pockets on each leg. She was about the same height as Hikaru. However, unlike Hikaru, this girl was a knock out! She had the a perfect oval face. A long slender nose and perfectly pouty, pink lips. Just under her mouth was a single vertical slit-like sky blue tattoo, ending just above her Adam's apple. She had warm and welcoming pink eyes; eyes that told you to trust her before she even opened her mouth. _Bubbly, amiable and protective, very good. Senju clan? And her friend the Kitsunaga girl. A matched pair. Strange, I didn't really notice them entering.  
_"My name is Yuuna, I just want to do my best to help save lives." This girl was small. Not just skinny, but short, even for her age. At one metre twenty, she was easily a full head shorter than even Naruto, who was the second shortest in the class. Her wild red hair, large baby blue eyes, and small childlike face made you think she was years younger than she was. She wore her dark green jacket open to show off the top she picked out, which was really not covering much. The 'shirt' was sleeveless, strapless and only four inches wide, neon orange and skin tight, leaving nothing to the imagination (even though she was still flat chested). She also wore dark green shorts, with a vertical stripe along its left seam, also neon orange. _Shy, aloof, but wants to protect those she cares for._

'_This is going to be an interesting class._' Iruka thought to himself, making a few notes to read through later.

* * *

"Well that's everyone. I guess it is time to start our first lesson then: advanced chakra control. Naruto-_kun_, please come to the front of the class, if you would be so kind."  
"Uh_, _okay." Naruto got up and walked to the front of the classroom and turned to face the class.  
"Now, the goal of your senior academy time is mastering the following: 7 _jutsus_, 4 weapons and at least D-class _taijutsu_. This is in addition to the skills you should have mastered up until this point; and that only covers what I will teach you. Your other classes will have their own expectations, but it is my class that has the power to make or break you. You will also be expected to take three electives every six months, which I will discuss later in greater detail."  
"Anyway, Naruto-_kun _will assist me in demonstrating the _jutsu _that you should master by the end of the month: the smoke screne. This is a 'training aid _jutsu_', which means it is pointless in itself, but when mastered it can be used for other _jutsu _like the _kawarimi no-jutsu_, or even a simple form of the _shunshin no-jutsu_, which is what we will be using it for. Now there are dozens of ways to get the same effect, some with hand seals, some without. The simplest one uses the hand seals _tora-i. _'Tiger' and 'Boar'. Then you focus chakra in the tips of your fingers and as soon as you see the smoke, you move out of sight while the smoke distracts your opponent." Iruka waited until everyone took their notes, then turned to Naruto.

"Now Naruto-_kun_, is this _jutsu _a _nin-_, _gen- _or _taijutsu_?" Iruka smiled patiently, waiting on the answer.  
"How the heck am I supposed to know that?" Naruto complained.  
"Because you are supposed to know the definitions of the three types of _jutsu_. And based on that knowledge, you should be able to figure out where this one fits in."  
"Oh, well that makes sense." Naruto thought out loud.  
"I'm glad you agree. Now what defines what this _jutsu _is?" Iruka asked again. "Think out loud if it helps."  
"Umm..." Naruto started panicking. Sweat was gathering on his brow, as he thought furiously what the answer could be.

'_This could take a while._' Shikamaru groped quietly. '_At least it isn't me up there._'

"Would anyone like to give Naruto-_kun _a hand?" Iruka asked after almost a minute of silence - doing his best to ignore the rivers of sweat pouring down a certain student's face. No hands went up. "How about you?" Iruka indicated Tatsuko.  
"_Hai_, _sensei_. The smoke screen _jutsu _is an E-Class _ninjutsu_." Tatsuko spoke calmly and evenly. Iruka figured that she knew the answer already, simply because she didn't have to think at all.  
"Very good. Now can you explain why?" He wanted to hear the logic leading there, not the answer itself.  
"_Taijutsu _consists of physical attacks, which typically only use physical energy. This _jutsu _uses _chakra_, so that is out. _Genjutsu _is an illusion, so it affects the mind via the senses in some way. This _jutsu _is not focussed on the mind in any way, so that is out. That leaves _ninjutsu_, which is essentially everything else." Tatsuko explained.

Iruka just smiled, then looked around the class to see how many people were committing her words to memory, or taking notes. "Very good. Naruto-_kun_, if you would be so kind."  
"Do the _jutsu_?" Naruto asked rhetorically. A nod was the only reply he got. Not that he needed it; he was already focusing his chakra. "_Tora, I_ - smoke screen!" Bright blue ribbons circled around him, lending an eerie glow. The whole class stared in slack jawed amazement, including Iruka himself.  
'_He's focusing too hard. If he keeps this up he'll-_' Before Iruka could even finish that thought, the chakra ribbons around Naruto exploded, filling the whole room with a thick blueish-grey smoke at an alarming rate.

* * *

"Well, since the classroom is still airing out." Iruka began, giving Naruto a slight glare. He had relocated his entire class to the indoor gym. It wasn't anything special, to be honest. It was three times larger than the classroom, with some target practice dummies lined up against the far wall and the ceiling was nearly four metres high. The wooden floor looked beat up, but was obviously still well taken care of - meaning that the wood was not splintering and was obviously cleaned and oiled as needed. "We will just have to start with your first weapon practice: the _kunai_. What you will do is pick a training partner, and we will go through the basics of armed combat. You can pick anyone you want, for now." Iruka immediately regretted that last sentence.

All at once, everyone started fighting who was going to team up with who. But the academy teacher quickly noticed that they were mostly fighting who was NOT going to be paired with who.  
Once Sasuke partnered up with Shino, it was hard to not notice that Ino and Sakura got into an argument as to who was going to team up with Naruto. Both girls seemed to hate the idea, and kept trying to pin it on the other, until Sakura took Hinata and Ino grabbed Kiba.  
"Okay, so they obviously don't like Naruto-_kun_. I wonder if it is only those two." Yuuna and Hikaru were teamed up and already stretching. Shikamaru and Chouji were off to one side. One with a bag of chips, the other with a bored look on his face. That left only Tatsuko and Naruto.

"Looks like it's just us left." Tatsuko turned to the other blond, who had a sour, rejected look on his face.  
"Yeah, I guess you don't wanna practice with me either." The boy complained softly. Iruka was about to team them up, but the look on the girl's face said that she was not entirely against it. Curiously, he waited to see how it played out.  
"What's the matter, you scared to practice with a girl?" Tatsuko teased, just loud enough that only Naruto could hear her. Iruka had to read her lips, seeing that he was on the other side of the room.  
"Nothin' scares me, _dattebayo_!" Naruto retorted defiantly.  
"Then get over yourself and let's dance." She teased, running for the _kunai _that were nicely lined up on the table.

'_After all the problems of picking a partner, the last ones paired up are the first one practising._' Iruka laughed, thinking to himself. "Well, now that everyone is ready, let's begin with some simple attack and defend sequences."

Iruka took his time to explain the first sequence a few times. Though it was only twelve attacks and corresponding defenses, he had painstakingly taken all the time needed to make sure everyone knew what to do. This was supposed to be the first time any of the students had practiced with _kunai_, so he would not take any chances.  
'_Sasuke, Shino, Kiba, Hikaru, Yuuna, Tatsuko. Half of the class was actually ahead of schedule, having obviously practiced with kunai before._' Iruka thought, keeping a keen eye on all of them. '_Sasuke's the only one showing off though. He's probably just trying to get the attention he is missing at home. His family was slaughtered not more than six months ago. I'll have to keep a good eye on him._'

'_I'm going to have to switch up the partners, otherwise there is going to be a gap between skill levels. It will end up happening anyways, but they each need a fair chance to develop here._' He thought for a while, trying to weigh out the possibilities. '_Sasuke is the trouble zone, so he can't be paired with a girl... as for the rest, it makes no real difference. Well, after kunai throwing, we'll go back to the classroom, and I will hand out the homework assignments._' He calmly watched as his new students went through the forms again and again for just over an hour, before he decided to switch things up. All the while he was trying to see who was being more active and when, trying to see what they were trying to say with their actions.

"All right everyone. That is enough combat exercise for today. Now, we need to practice throwing _kunai_. After that we will do some cool down laps and go back to our classroom. There are twelve targets, each student needs to pick a single target and try to hit the black dot in the center of the circle on the dummy. That means no throwing kunai at each other. Is that understood?"

It took a few minutes for everything too cool down after the switch, but it became much clearer who needed to practice more: Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, Yuuna. Only a third of the class were any good at the moment. Sasuke seemed to be the best, but not by much.

However, something struck Iruka as odd. The four students that had clearly already practiced... '_They aren't missing. Even if they don't hit the bullseye, they aren't missing the dummy._' That had never happened before in Iruka's class. '_Tatsuko is only hitting the bullseye, she has the best accuracy. Shino's kunai are digging deepest into the dummy, he is throwing the fastest. Hikaru is reloading the fastest, so he is throwing at least twice as many as anyone else. Sasuke is throwing two at once, obviously showing off, but still doing very well._' It wasn't hard to tell that they had started training long before coming into his class.  
But what struck Iruka, was the team effort his students were showing. Hikaru was constantly stopping, to give tips to Yuuna. Shino would throw a few words of encouragement to Hinata from time to time, too. Tatsuko was actually doing much the same for Naruto, though he would gripe and say he knew already. Only Sasuke ignored everything and kept pushing himself harder.  
'_Wait a minute, now Tatsuko is helping another student. Kiba... She seems a bit shy now for some reason. I wonder if that means anything._' Shortly after, Hikaru went and helped Shikamaru and Chouji. His words were simple, but they were well received. Something about pretending the dummy was something they wanted to hit.  
"You know, if you two keep this up. You're going to be competing for last place." Tatsuko teased Ino and Sakura. Within seconds Iruka could see the difference. The pair focussed better before each throw, greatly improving their aim. True, the weren't hitting the bullseye, but they hit the dummy with relative ease now.

Iruka gazed in awe as his students improved bit by bit. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but he was quite pleased with them. Almost forty-five minutes had passed, and he had yet to open his mouth once. They simply knew what to tell each other to keep their spirits up, and to keep the growth going. For the first time in years, Umino Iruka was pleased on the first day with his students.

Back in the classroom, the students were finally settling back in their seats. Everyone seemed a bit tired, and no one had eaten lunch yet. Iruka knew that he was pushing them harder than they normally would have trained. Not that he minded that, it was just weird. Truth be told, he expected a lot more complaints.

"All right everyone, it's almost time for our lunch break. But before that I want to give you all something." Iruka waited for everyone to quiet down, before he continued. "It has long been a tradition in my class, that I would give every student a leg-pouch with four kunai and a few other tools to practice with at home. Now, I have lined them up here on my desk, but before you receive them there is a vow you must take."  
A clamour spread through the class like wildfire. No one had ever heard about anything like this, and no one knew what to think about it.  
"All right, settle down. The reason why this has to happen now, is that after the lunch break we will start with some exercises with bomb tags. As for the vow, it is simple enough: just that you will not use what you learn to harm the innocent or fellow _Konoha shinobi_. Though it is far more important to understand that even though we are training you to destroy, it is only supposed to be used to protect. Whether that is protecting your classmates, your friends, your family, or even someone you don't know that needs your help."  
"All right. Now, who wants to go first?" One by one, the students came forward. They each vowed to be the best _shinobi _they can be, and that they would protect the village, even at the cost of their own life.

"Now that we have the happy sappy stuff outta the way, can we start blowing stuff up already?" Hikaru half joked, causing the entire class to laugh. Iruka, of course, expected at least one student to say just that.

"_Gomen, Iruka-sensei_. I'll try to be more serious." However, he never expected that same student to chastise himself. Iruka took a moment to compose his thoughts.

"Everyone, we will have a half hour break for lunch. Please eat your lunch in this room, because I need to ask a few of you some questions before we start back at 13:17."

* * *

**~Hikaru's POV~**

'_Not even a day in this class. No more than four hours. And you already open your big mouth! Now she's gonna be pissed. Aw man, Hikaru, what have you gotten yourself into?_' The Yukikami sulked, half eating his lunch. He had immediately apologized to Umino-_sensei_, but he knew that would not get him off the hook. '_She specifically told me not to draw attention to myself. Aw man._'

"Sasuke-_kun_, I would like to begin with you." Umino-_sensei _called Uchiha to the front of the class.

'_Aw man, I'll bet Umino-sensei wants to talk to me, too. Why'd I open my big mouth?'_ The white haired boy sat uneasily in his chair. He chanced a gaze at the one person who could make him feel like a child, only to find her face down on her desk. To everyone else she probably looked like she was taking a nap, but he knew better. This was when she was most alert!  
"Hey, _Hi-chan_." Hikaru's panic was interrupted, and momentarily forgotten. He was obviously so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice anyone sneaking up on him.  
"She's upset with me isn't she?" Hikaru kept his voice low, but knew she would hear him anyways.  
"Dunno." Came the reply, along with a slight yawn and the halfhearted rubbing of an eye. "But she said to relax and just not let it happen again." Though it did not relieve his heart entirely, he was more at ease. He took a few deep breaths and simply tried to enjoy his food.  
"You know, you make the best _bento_." He said honestly.  
"You're only saying that because you want me to make another one tomorrow." He laughed, knowing that that was also true.  
'_You always have such simple words for me, but I can't seem to shake how deep they affect me. Thank you._' He tried to say the words, but they got lost somehow. They always did. There was just something about being this near to her that turned his insides into a pretzel.  
As usual, his predicament earned him a smile, and a mere wave of the hand dismissing it altogether. "Just wake me up when class starts again."

**~End POV~**

* * *

Iruka was leading his class to an reinforced bunker under the school. It was designed to withstand the worst of what the students could come up with, so he was not worried about the safety of the building... No, it was the safety of his students that he was sweating bullets for. Every year an average of three hundred academy students are injured here. Almost half of that is hospitalized for more than a week. Luckily the academy has a low percentage of fatalities, but that is mostly due to the quick response of the Medical-_nin_.

Each class given here is required to have at least three _chuunin _present, of which one must be at least a C-Class Medical-_nin_. And even then, there must be a team at full alert for any and every emergency.

"They're gonna be fine, Iruka. Nothing bad is going to happen, and even if something does, they are still gonna be fine." He chanted over and over in his head.

_**End Chapter 1**_

* * *

_**A/N: The section that shows Hikaru's point of view shows only last names. In Japanese culture it is proper to refer to someone by their family name, but in a tightly knit place like**__Konoha _**it sticks out. It comes over as remote, unfamiliar and a bit cold.**

_**Many thanks to my beta: Kiravu. Wouldn't know what to do without you :D**_


	2. Arc1: Ninja Gakkou, mendoukusei!

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc**_

_**A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect our favourite blond dobe?**_

_**All underlined terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

"Jeez, this is so annoying." Shikamaru complained as he was handed a tag. He eyed the item carefully, wondering how it worked. There were three rows of writing above, and another three below a single kanji... "_Baku_." Explode. There was a chance that this was chakra controlled, but he had seen people simply light it aflame. Was it about preference?

"Now that everyone has a tag, I will explain the basics. First off, as I warned earlier, do **not** focus any chakra into the tag at any point until I tell you to. Second off, notice the _kanji _in the center for explode. Directly around the kanji is the immediate seal. This is used to capture the item that actually explodes. Around the immediate seal, there are six scribblings. Three above the immediate seal, three below." Iruka-sensei seemed nervous about something and signaled something to the other two chuunin.

"Mizuki-_sensei_, Tsubaki-_sensei_. They both seem pretty familiar to Iruka-_sensei_. Probably old classmates, maybe even friends." Shikamaru rubbed the arch of his nose, mentally cursing his insatiable curiosity. "I wonder how many cats were killed by the curiosity of the Nara clan."

"These are triggers to activate the seal. Now notice that all six triggers are different. Starting at the twelve o'clock position, the immediate trigger. Notice that this is the only one actually connected to the immediate seal. Which means activating this trigger will immediately cause the tag to explode." With that Ino threw her tag and started screaming hysterically. Something about not wanting her hair to catch afire.

"Don't worry, we are not going to work with live tags just yet. These only light up when you use them right." Tsubaki-_sensei_explained, trying to calm the girl. Shikamaru noticed the dirty look she gave Iruka-_sensei_, almost hearing the lecture he was going to get later on.

"I knew that." Ino offered, trying to act cool. It wasn't hard to tell that she was still unnerved.

"Bad actress, bad liar. Doesn't she know that she isn't fooling anyone? Probably not. _Mendoukusei_." The boy groaned mentally.

"All right, we will begin by activating the immediate trigger. Just focus your chakra into the very tip of the scribble. You will know it worked, because it will light up the moment you do it right." Iruka-_sensei_explained. "Now, let's begin."

* * *

Shikamaru got home later than usual that afternoon. Apparently no one thought the better of telling students that senior academy schooldays were scheduled to last two hours longer a day than they were accustomed.

"Great, now _okaa-san_is going to be pissed at me for something I knew nothing about, _mendoukusei._" He complained as he entered the house, before briefly muttering: "_Tadaima_."

"_O keari nasa__i, Shika-chan_. How was your day in school?" His mother greeted him with a warm smile. She seemed serene for some reason, like there was nothing that could upset her.

"Longer than usual, and Ino decided to freak out at every turn. _Mendoukusei_." He explained. "And somehow I think you knew about it and chose to say nothing, knowing I would simply refuse to go." He didn't ask, but he didn't really Need to.

"I'm sure Ino-_chan _will get used to her training in due time. I assume you will be helping her with that?" She had a slightly harder edge in her voice now.

"_H-hai_."

"Good, then she will do just fine. Now go and wash up, dinner will be ready soon."

"Geez, this is almost as much trouble as the team assembly exercise we got for homework. _Mendoukusei_."

* * *

Morning came quickly, a little too quickly. The sun shone a little too brightly, burning into a soon to be complaining boy's eyes. The birds chirped a little too happily, assaulting his ears. Shikamaru could feel himself waking up. He simply refused.

"Just another five minutes." He mumbled, hoping the world would understand and simply leave him be.

"Shika-_chan_, time to get up. Breakfast will be ready soon." Yoshino sang happily.

"Mmmm!" Came the fully expected complaint.

"Shika-_chan_, if you are not washed up and sitting at the table within ten minutes, I will simply have to send your father to get you." She threatened. Shikamaru knew that if his old man had to come get him, there would either be a bucket with cold water coming in with him, or he would simply have him walk himself into the shower with the Shadow Possession-_jutsu_. Nah, he'd prefer not to spoil me and use the cold water... less effort that way too.

Fourteen minutes later, Shikamaru sat at the table, complaining. "I sign up for the easy life and what do I get? More demands and complaints. _Mendoukusei_."

"Shika-_chan_, if you don't drink your tea it will get cold and you will end up being late for school!" Yoshino warned from the kitchen. Shikamaru heard her footsteps heading to the front door, meaning that she was waiting on him.

"_Hai, hai_." He waved it off, trying to stretch as much time as he could.

"Shikamaru, you only Need to say it once. Now hurry up. Your bento is packed and I am sure Chouji will be waiting on you!"

"Hey, _ji-ji_,why did you have to marry such a strict woman?" The boy asked quietly, afraid of what his mother would do if she heard him.

"Well..." Shikaku began, then slowly thought about that. He thought back to the days before he was married, about what he loved and admired. "She has a nice smile."

"Ah man. That's the best you can come up with?" The boy deadpanned, sweating from the sheer insanity in his old man's analogy.

"No matter how strong-minded a woman is, she will show kindness to the man she loves." The look on his son's face said that he didn't believe a word of it, so he left it at that. "By the way, me and Choza are leaving for a few days, so here is the money to cover your side of the deal."

"Another mission so soon?" Yoshino rushed in with a very subdued look on her face, and obviously to the point of crying.

"Shikamaru, finish your tea before you're late for school." Shikaku said in a soft tone, his eyes never leaving hers.

* * *

"This day just keeps getting better and better." Shikamaru complained. "The second class starts, Iruka-_sensei _decides to start with calculating team strengths and weaknesses. I mean how stupid do you have to be to Need to calculate this stuff? Put the weakest near the middle, the slowest in the front and keep the strategist and the medic alive. How hard is that?"

"Iruka-_sensei_, is this stuff we really Need ta know? I mean, all we gotta do is send in the strongest guy and complete the mission right?" Naruto asked.

"And what if your strongest is not strong enough? Then what do you do, Naruto-_kun_?" Iruka-_sensei_asked, doing his best not to yell.

"They are going to get into an argument, pissing Iruka-_sensei_off and making Naruto look even dumber. Then he's going to give us some stupid test to make us all suffer because the blond blunder boy can't keep his trap shut. Why did I come to school at all today? _Mendoukusei_."

"Listen, Naruto, if you don't understand it, just say so! Don't go around calling it useless!" Came Iruka-_sensei's _typical demon face, used almost exclusively on the hyperactive knuckle-head.

"But how much use is something that you don't get?" Naruto griped. The academy teacher felt his blood pressure rise instantly.

"Ah man, here it comes. I think he's gonna pop."

"Well class, since Naruto-kun seems to not understand how important it is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team..." Iruka began. A wave of complaint washed over the class, drowning out any chance to continue.

"ENOUGH!" He shouted, restoring order almost immediately. "Whether you want to believe me or not, I was planning on doing this anyway. This just changes the order I had in mind. Now, if you take out your homework assignment. You all should have selected two of your fellow students for a infiltration mission, bearing in mind that there would be resistance and possibly traps." Iruka turned to the board and quickly drew a simple schematic of a very simple compound. The drawing pointed out the height of the walls, the thickness of the doors and walls.

"Now that we have gone over the basics of team strength calculations, you are going to calculate and plot your best course of action. Based on this compound. You will have no more than ten minutes to come up with a plan and strength-weakness analysis based on your plan. There will be no comparing notes. No discussion of any kind. BEGIN!"

* * *

Class-to-numeral conversion, huh? Sensei wants the calculations leading to the ideal situation for the 'mission'. Okay, let's see. Academy student, or E-class, would be zero to one... _Genin_, or D-class, would be one to two...

1,249 speed out of 5. She is not slow, but is the slowest of the group. 0,985 out of 5, I am physically the weakest. He is not the weakest, or the least capable. In fact, at 1,792, he is nearly twice as strong as I am. At 2,219, he is more than twice as fast. Other than speed, he was always second place, but never by more than a point. Maybe he liked it like that?

It would make sense. He always had a mark to overcome; someone to compete with in terms of strength, _taijutsu_, _ninjutsu_, _genjutsu_, seal knowledge and intelligence. Overall, I would say he is the most capable in the class.

As for the assignment. Three obvious entrances, two less obvious ones. Then there is the slight indentation here in the wall, it would be easy to break through and make a major distraction.

"Okay, since we do not know if this is supposed to be a retrieval, an assassination or a stealth mission, it would be best to think in advance and plot all major possibilities. Now how do I want to do that? Well this room seems to be the best guarded... so..."

* * *

Iruka stood at attention, wondering what all the fuss was really about. He kept a keen eye on his students, making sure they were focusing on the task given to them, but his mind couldn't help but wander... and wonder.

"I have only had this class for six weeks, but _Hokage-sama_ already is arranging a 3-day survival? That's unprecedented!" His thoughts were clear, but the motifs were well hidden. "There is something that _Hokage-sama_ knows about this group that I do not. I will have to ask him about that."

"Iruka-_sensei_?" A hand shot up, showing that the first student solved the problem. That train of thought would have to wait for a while. He walked over to Sakura and checked her calculations based on the people she chose.

"Very good, Sakura-_chan_. Although, you may want to consider multiple options before you plot out your best course of action." Iruka said smoothly.

"Hai, _sensei_. That is actually how I got to this answer." Sakura beamed proudly having been one step ahead of her sensei this time around.

"Really, then please write down the other possibilities you considered and the reasons you didn't want to apply them. I am curious to see how far you thought this through."

"Ah man." Iruka heard someone complaining in the back row... that meant.

"What is it, Shikamaru?" Iruka asked, knowing the answer already.

"You mean we gotta write down all the other options we considered? _Medoukusei_." Exactly what Iruka expected, he still couldn't help but sigh.

"I kind of agree with him, Iruka-_sensei_. There are too many variables to write down**all**the possibilities. Even if we were to break it down to an algorithm it will take a few hours." Tatsuko piped up.

"Hours?" Iruka looked at the blond curiously. "Very well, then I would like the two of you to write down at least five options, with their strengths and weakness."

"Is it a problem if I wrote more?" Tatsuko asked worriedly.

"How many did you write?" Iruka was really curious now.

"Twelve."

"Twelve solutions?" Iruka was impressed, but he tried not to show it too much. Offering one student too much praise meant causing a rift with their comrades.

"Umm, I meant twelve cases." Suddenly the classroom became so silent that you could almost hear what the teacher in the next classroom was explaining.

"And for each case how many solutions?"  
"Ummm..." Tatsuko suddenly felt shy for some reason. The combined staring of her entire class, and the weird look on Iruka-sensei's face was really unnerving. "Just one or two." Hers eyes were glued to her desk now, and her cheeks were turning slightly pink.

"That's fine, Tatsuko-_chan_. May I see them?" Iruka sensed that she didn't want her results to be revealed, but he had to know what her tactical skill level was.

"Iruka-_kun_, it's almost time to make the announcement." Hagane Kotetsu announced after knocking and entering.

"Come on in, Kotetsu. I was just getting to that." Iruka's attention was momentarily sidetracked, giving Tatsuko the opportunity to hide a few of the papers she had written her answers on, though not from embarrassment. Somehow, it never occurred to Tatsuko that the others would have any problems keeping up with her analysis, and she didn't want to be different. All she wanted was to fit in and make friends.

"Class please meet Namiashi Raidou, Hagane Kotetsu, Kamizuki Izumo and Yamashiro Aoba. They are here to aid me in guiding you through your first three day survival. I would advise all of you to pay special attention to what they have to say, when the time comes, because all four of them are by far stronger and smarter than I. Now, since there are four _chuunin_accompanying you all, we will split you into four teams of three. The problem I just gave you is to decide which of you will belong to which group. I will call four names, those four may choose the other two member that will join you, after I announce all teams." He paused to let that sink in.

"Now, Sakura-_chan_was the first to finish, so you will be on Kotetsu's team. Sasuke-_kun_, you put your pencil down second, so I am assuming you finished not more than fifteen seconds after Sakura-_chan_, you will be on Izumo's team. Shikamaru, you complained almost immediately after, so you will be going with Raidou-_senpai_. And Tatsuko-_chan_, you will be going with Aoba-_senpai_. Please remember which chuunin you are under, because I will not say it twice. Now please stand in front of the team-leader in charge of you for the coming three days."

"What? Now I can't have Sasuke on my team, COME ON!" Inner Sakura complained, while she meekly walked to the front of the class.  
"_Mendoukusei_. After being tricked into this, I'm gonna have to play survivor man." Shikamaru complained, dragging his feet.  
"I wonder if he is as strict as he looks?" Tatsuko thought as she walked up to the man with the black and red shades on.  
"... This might just be fun..." Sasuke thought as he walked up.

"Now, here are the rules for choosing the remainder of your team. You will say one name, when I point to you, male or female makes no difference. That student will then stand up and walk to their team." Iruka explained once everyone was in place. "Now, we will begin."

Iruka pointed to Shikamaru. "Choji."

Iruka pointed to Sakura. "Ino."

Iruka pointed to Tatsuko. "Yuuna."

Iruka pointed to Sasuke. "Hikaru."

Iruka pointed to Shikamaru. "Hinata."

Iruka pointed to Tatsuko. "Kiba."

Iruka pointed to Sakura. "Shino."

"And that leaves Naruto to go on Sasuke's team." Iruka said, then waited for everyone to group up.  
"Now I will announce the temporary teams for the next three days:

Team Kotetsu: Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, Aburame Shino.  
Team Izumo: Uchiha Sasuke, Yukikami Hikaru, Uzimaki Naruto.  
Team Aoba: Senju Tatsuko, Kitsunaga Yuuna, Inuzuka Kiba.  
Team Raidou: Nara Shikamaru, Akamichi Choji, Hyuuga Hinata."

Iruka made a note to keep track of the teams. "All right, now everyone will have lunch and the journey will be explained to you afterwards."

* * *

Lunch in the classroom was always a mixed experience. The girls would usually sit together, exchanging chit-chat and gossip between bites, amiable company being the order of the day. While the boys would compete with each other over one thing or another, exchange competitive looks and half truths to make themselves look better (the latter solely implying Naruto). Today it was general chaos. No one knew what to expect from the 'survival', but most thought it was a test of one kind or the other.

"I guess you and your lover boy will be spending a few days together." Hikaru words caught both Tatsuko and Yuuna completely offguard.

"What are you trying to say, Hikaru?" Yuuna asked in a small, unsure voice, completely unaware of her teammate's reaction.

"To whom the shoe fits." Hikaru said, with a knowing smile creeping onto his lips.

'Well, it certainly doesn't fit me...' Yuuna thought, wondering at Hikaru's cryptic words. Then, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. A small change at first, but it quickly spread like a wildfire. By the time Yuuna turned her head Tatsuko was blushing so completely that it wouldn't surprise Yuuna if her heals were turning a bit pink.

"I didn't think anyone knew." Came a small voice.

"Tatsuko?" Yuuna was staring at her best friend in wide eyed shock. "Oh, _Kami-sama_. _N__ee-chan_, since when?" She was a bit unhappy that Tatsuko held something this big from her, but she quickly deduced that she didn't tell anyone.

"..." What could she say, how could she explain it? 'I guess she deserves to know.' Tatsuko was just opening her mouth to tell her the whole story, when...

"Hey you two, I was thinking that since we are on the same team, we could have lunch together?" Kiba smiled warmly. He was standing just behind Tatsuko, so he didn't see her face, but the looks on Yuuna and Hikaru's faces made him wonder what they were talking about.

"Sure, Kiba-_kun_. Come, have a seat." Hikaru smiled impishly, seeming genuinely pleased to see the boy.

"Thanks." Kiba sat down next to the white haired boy and took out his bento. "Everyone seems to think that this is going to be a test of some sort. But you know what I think?"

"That this is going to be a competition?" Hikaru smile widened further.

"Exactly, they are splitting us into teams and are probably going to have us compete against each other. The question is: in what?" Kiba and Hikaru kept talking like that for a while, not that Tatsuko noticed. She alternated between staring at Kiba, and staring at anything but. Daydreaming about him the whole time.

"Well, that settles it. I guess I am having lunch with the enemy. I'll see you guys in a few days." Hikaru announced and stood up to leave.

"Maybe, but I think we'll see you much sooner. Good luck out there." Kiba smiled at him knowingly. That was enough to waken the dreamer.

"Yeah, we'll see you, O_touto-kun_." Tatsuko said softly.

"And Kiba..." Hikaru stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Mm?" Kiba noised, looking at him carefully.

"Take care of my girls."

"No prob. I'd never let anything happen to them." Kiba boasted proudly, "_Ne_, Akamaru?" The puppy barked confidently.

Kiba looked a little longer at Hikaru, knowing that he had just been entrusted with the two people that meant most to the boy. He smiled, swearing mutely that he who protect the girls with his life. "Wait a minute... 'my girls'?" Kiba turned to the team he was assigned to, only to find both of them blushing furiously.

* * *

Inuzuka Kiba just came out of the furo dressed in his PJs, ready for a good night's rest. He knew that he would not be able to rest well during the survival, so he was turning in earlier than usual.

"Hey Akamaru, I don't know about you, but I don't get those two. I mean, they both act kinda weird around me, like they have some kind of secret. And then there's the whole Hikaru calling them 'my girls' thing." Kiba's voice was irritated, but he couldn't figure out why. He just rubbed Akamaru's head, which lay idly on his chest, while he tried to make sense of his day.

"It's none of my business what they do with their lives, but then why is it bugging me so damn much?" Kiba imagined the three of them growing up together, going on missions together, raising their children together... without him...

"Those three can do whatever they fucking want." All at once Kiba was filled with intense rage. But what was worse, he suddenly felt sad too. He didn't understand it in the least. "I guess it's pointless to try to figure this out right now. I've got a major test coming up tomorrow, so I Need my rest."

Kiba looked down at his companion... who was sleeping soundly.

"Night, Akamaru." Kiba said softly, patting the canine's head gently. Allowing himself to fall asleep too.

* * *

"Morning, _Otouto-chan_." Inuzuka Hana greeted her little brother. "Sleep well?"

"Morning, N_ee-san_. Always do. What's for breakfast?" Kiba was wide awake and had already taken his soak in the furo. Having packed his bag the night before, all that he still had to do was eat before he left.

"Rice, tempura, sausage and fried eggs with bacon." Hana replied happily. She was not very good at much in the house, but her cooking was top-notch.

"You hear that, Akamaru? N_ee-san _made our favourite." Kiba smiled from ear to ear, and Akamaru barked happily.

"Well, you won't be home for a few days, so I figured I would spoil you a little to tie you over." Hana smiled absentmindedly, remembering how much her mother had spoiled her just before her first 3-day survival trip.

"_Arigato, Nee-san_. I'll be sure not to disappoint you."

"You ready for the survival?" Hana asked, sticking out her tongue. The food was still hot, so she was handling the bowls carefully as she placed them on the table. Kiba served himself and Akamaru a healthy portion of everything

"Of course I am. Mom helped me pack everything last night, before she left for her mission." Kiba said absentmindedly picking at his food. He still couldn't shake the weird dream he had.

Hana had noticed a 'slight' change in the boy's demeanour. Normally he would completely ignore every question until he had his fill, then he would appologize for not hearing a word of it, but now... He seemed to barely notice the food, and was answering every question. "Oh really? Then why do you look like you're a million miles away?"

"Huh?" Kiba seemed to only now notice that there was food in front of him, when he himself had put it there. "Oh, um... nuthin'."

About five minutes passed before Hana had officially had enough. "Kiba what is the matter with you? You're not acting like yourself at all."

"Huh? Didya say somethin', N_ee-san_?" Kiba was having major concentration problems, which was normal while he was eating. However, Hana noticed that this time he wasn't paying attention to his food either...

"_Ototo-chan_, what's wrong?" Hana was really beginning to worry, was he just stressed about the survival trip?

"Dunno. Somethin's been bugging me since yesterday at lunch, and I ain't been able to shake it since. Thing is, the more I think about it, the less sense it makes. It's like I've been chasing my own tail, and can't figure out why it is always just out of my reach." Kiba's voice hinted that he had been thinking about it almost non-stop for longer than he wanted to admit, and he was more than a little frustrated about it.

"You wanna talk about it?" Hana asked in an almost maternal voice.

Kiba thought about that for a long moment. He knew that Hana would make sense out of this mess, but did he even want it to make sense? Stupid question.

"Well, I'm teamed up with these two girls, Tatsuko, and Yuuna. But they're normally joined at the hip with each other and this guy, Hikaru. Thing is..." Kiba thought back to lunch the previous day. "After talking wid him for like ten minutes he decides he was going to spend the rest of lunch wid his team. Then he tells me to take care of 'his girls'."

Hana's eyebrow shot up curiously. "He said it... like that?" She asked curiously.

"He said: 'Take care of my girls'. In those exact words." Kiba felt the same anger he had felt last night thinking about this same thing. "It's been buggin' me evuh since, an' I don't get why." Kiba sighed, exasperatedly.

"How did the girls react?"

"Just how you'd expect: they blushed." Kiba didn't understand what his sister was getting at, but he knew she was figuring something out of this madness.

"Was it an embarrassed blush, like they were happy, or more like a 'what the heck did he just say', or like a 'I can't believe he feels that way too' kind of blush?" Hana kept her face as neutral as she could, but she had pretty much figured out what was really bugging the boy.

"What's the difference? They were blushin'." Kiba was totally confused now, were all girls this complicated?

"Their eyes, their facial expressions, their body language, describe them as best as you can. One girl at a time." Hana instructed.

"Well, Yuuna was looking at the floor, but she seemed happy about hearin' what he said. She had a smile - a shy smile. I think she was fiddlin' with her hands too. Like she was playing with her index fingers." Kiba explained as best he could, somehow he had a little trouble remembering how she looked exactly.

"And the other one?" Hana asked.

"Tatsuko-_chan_? Her blush was the deepest pink I'd ever seen. Her reaction's kinda weird, now that I think about it. It's like... she was happy and embarrassed, just like Yuuna, but she seemed to radiate somethin' else too. Her eyes kept dartin' back and forth, looking at everything and nothing at the same time. And everytime she looked at me she would smile, and blush a little deeper. Then when she would look at Hikaru, and smile uncertainly, like she was trying to figure somethin' out. Everytime I asked her a question she would act even weirder... she would tug at her earlobe, and stammer through half of what she was saying. Then when I would ask Yuuna a question, she would look a little sad... And when I was talking about something... I dunno, I almost felt like she was hanging on my every word, like she studying every nuance. Then I would ask if she agreed with me, she acted like she didn't hear a word of it."

Kiba could make no sense of any of it. "Yuuna seemed to act pretty normal after her blushed died down, but Tatsuko just kept acting off-key. That is, until we started with our drills with Aoba-_sensei_. Once she had something else to focus on she became all business. And during the explanations, she listened attentively. She seemed totally focused. Completely opposite to the way she was acting before that. It's like she became someone else..."

"Well, don't worry about it too much. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon." Hana smiled at her naive little brother. It wasn't hard to figure it all out, but she knew that Kiba had to handle this one on his own.

"You're not going to tell me what you figured out. Are you, _Nee-san_?" Kiba stated more than asked.

"No, I'm not. But that's only because this is one of those things you have to do on your own." Hana smiled warmly at him. She really did want to explain it, but this was just none of her business.

"Can you at least give me a hint?" Kiba sounded vaguely desperate.

"A girl's only as complicated as the way she feels." Hana explained. She hated being so cryptic, but anything else would have given it all away.

"The way she feels?" Kiba looked down, trying to piece it all together.

"Now hurry up! You don't want to be late, do you?"

**End Chapter 2**

* * *

**_A/N: I would like to take this wonderful opportunity to make out with my beta-reader in front of everyone! Kiravu, I love you!_**

**_And before anyone tries to point out that this is more romance and fluff than anything, well you Need to be patient and wait to figure out why this is call the Ninja Tag Arc..._**

_**Japanese terms:**_

_**Kaa-san, Okaa-san - Mom, mother.**_

_**Mendoukusei - 面倒くせい - A phrase used almost only by Nara Shikamaru. It loosely translates to "what a drag", or "what a pain". No matter how you translate it though, it is a common complaint he uses.**_

_**Tadaima- 唯今 - "I'm home."**_

_**O keari nasai - お帰りなさい - "Welcome home"**_

_**Jiji - Old man, gramps, grandfather. **_

_**Bento - lunch box. BTW, when someone says "O-bento." It usually means, here is your lunch box. Insightful, I know. -.-''**_

_**Tempura - Japanese styled, breaded and fried meat/fish.**_


	3. Arc1: Can't live with or without em

**_Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc_**

**_I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P_**

**_A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect out favourite blond dobe?_**

* * *

The students of Iruka's class were gathering at the school gate, as they were instructed. Since this was first time any of them had ever been on a survival, everyone seemed exited.

"_**Teme**_! Why did I have to get teamed up with you anyways?" Well, almost everyone.

"Like I asked to have a _dobe_ on my team." Sasuke 'helpfully' pointed out. Needless to say the conversation went like it always did: Naruto said something either about how cool he was or how uncool Sasuke was, and Sasuke either ignored him or made a counter argument. Hikaru just shook his head anytime either asked his opinion (ESPECIALLY Sasuke), doing his best to simply stay out of the argument.

"Jeez, you'd think those two would learn to get along after being in the same class for four years." Ino complained.  
"Yeah right, Naruto never learns anything quickly." Sakura belittled him, again.  
'Shannero! that Naruto, if I find out he makes my Sasuke look bad, I'm going to let him have it!' Inner-Sakura ripped an imaginary Naruto's arm off and proceeded to beat him to death with it.  
Shino just looked at them in mild amusement.

"Man, am I glad that neither of them are on our team, huh Shikamaru?" Choji said between bites; his left hand holding the bag of chips, while his right hand fished in in for new victims.  
"Anyone would be better than having Naruto and Sasuke on our team. Separately they might be tolerable, but they are such a **pain**together." Shikamaru complained in reply.  
"Well, maybe Naruto just likes sticking out." Hinata said so softly that neither Shikamaru nor Choji heard her, who were standing closest to her.

"Well, I guess we won't have that much entertainment while we're out there, so we might as well enjoy the show, _ne _Akamaru?" Kiba joked.  
"Well, I will enjoy the peace and quiet to be honest." Yuuna said softly.  
"I'm with her on this one." Tatsuko announced.

"Alright you two, settle down." Iruka announced as he poofed into view about a meter away from the offending _teme_-_dobe_ argument. Everyone lined up as they had been trained: team leaders in a line next to each other, approximately a meter apart, and the rest of their team lined up behind them, about the same distance apart.

"Good morning, class." Iruka smiled, they had gotten themselves in order without so much as a peep from Iruka, and within ten seconds. Not bad, in Iruka's opinion.

"_Ohaiyo_, _Iruka-sensei_." Came the uniform reply.

"I have two announcements to make before we head out. I shouldn't even have to say this, but I expect that everyone will treat their team-leader with the same respect that I would expect you to show me. The other thing you all need to know is that the set up has been slightly modified to properly test each student and _chuunin_. That's right, this is a test for the _chuunin_ as well as you academy students." Iruka waited for everyone to soak in the information he had given them so far.

"Now, the three day survival was initially intended as a three day competition. That is still the case, only there is more to it now.

"Day one will focus on the individual. Each student will be tested and analysed by their _chuunin_ team-leader to see where their strengths lay.

"Day two will be teamwork building exercises, mainly to learn to work as a team.

"Day three will be the real test, because you will all take part in a competition to see which team works best together. There will be a twelve-hour long game of ninja-tag. I'm sure you all know how that works, but I will explain anyways.

"Each team will be given a rival team as a target, along with three tags with the kanji _'__suwaru__'_ inscribed on it. These tags work a lot like the paper bombs we have been practicing with, only they force the target to sit until it is removed, instead of exploding. Think of it like a kunai with a bomb tag attached, if it hits you - even if they miss your vital points - you're out.

"The team that 'eliminates' their target quickest wins. Any questions?" Iruka knew that two questions were coming: 'can I be assigned to a different team', and 'why do we have to train for three days straight'... and he knew who was going to ask those questions. Not surprisingly, Shikamaru raised his hand.

"Shikamaru-_kun_?"

"Can we choose a target, or at least have a preference for a target?" No complaints... hmmm interesting.

"No, a target will be assigned to you on the third day. You may only engage your targets. If anyone engages an opponent on a team you are not assigned to, you and your team forfeit the game." Iruka assumed that either Shikamaru wanted to target Tatsuko to see what she was capable of, or to target anyone but her, because it would be too troublesome. "You can however discuss who your preference would be with your _chuunin _team-leader. The five of us will announce the targets on the day of ninja-tag." A second hand shot up.

"No, Naruto you cannot be assigned to a different team." The hand went back down, with some muttering and swearing under his breath. After thinking about the teams for a long moment, Iruka decided it might be best to add something: "More importantly, if any of you sabotages a team-mate, or tries to exclude them in any way... you will be severely punished! A true _shinobi_must be able to work with anyone in order to accomplish his goal." Iruka noted the mixed emotions on Ino and Sakura's faces, just like Sasuke pointedly not looking directly at the academy instructor. "Any other questions?" Another hand shot up.

"Iruka-_sensei_, will it be light contact ninja-tag, or anything goes?" Hikaru asked curiously. He wanted to know how far he could take it, or if he should just tag them and run.

"Good question. Zero contact: you will not be allowed to touch your targets at all. Each tag will be thrown and attatched with a sticky string, which will be provided. This is supposed to simulate a covert operation, so if you are so much as seen you must immediately withdraw. A 'free word' will be issued before the game starts. Anyone who says the 'free word' cannot be attacked for five minutes, and the attackers must withdraw." Tatsuko's hand shot up this time.

"So this is really to test the _chuunin_'s ability to observe our every movement, and how well they can teach us to accomplish this complex task?" Tatsuko asked with a blank expression on her face.

"Exactly Tatsuko-_chan_, but there is one more element to this survival than just that. It is also to test how well you all can cope with living in a harsh environment, with long training hours and little rest. This is key aspect of being a _shinobi_: surviving in the most adverse conditions. And yes, you are being tested as severely as the _chuunin_ who are guiding you. So I expect you all to do your best, and nothing less."

* * *

"All right, you three. Time to start our first round of exercise. Here is what we are going to do." Yamashiro Aoba began. The three students assigned to him seemed of the capable sort, but he had too much riding on this little trip to chance it. "I want to have a sparring match with each of you in turn. I want to to come at me with everything you've got."

"_N-nani_?" Yuuna asked in a worried tone, looking at Tatsuko uncertainly.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I just need to see how good you are, and no amount of explanations or schematics on your current level of skill will say anything. Let's start with you." He explained, pointing at Kiba.

"Fine by me. Only unarmed _taijutsu_?" The boy asked.

"No, you can use anything you like. I need to know where you are in all aspects." Aoba-_sensei _said plainly.

"You ready, Akamaru?" Kiba crouched forward and crossed his arms at the elbows, balancing himself by placing his fingertips on the ground. Akamaru jumped on his back and barked to announce his readiness.

"Beast Mimicry!" Kiba's face stretched a bit, making room for somewhat larger fangs. His fingers seemed to bend a bit, almost painfully, as his nails grew sharper and pointier. "_Juujin bunshin no-jutsu_!" Akamaru disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a very feral Kiba-clone on the original's back. Both Kibas had a very cocky smile on their twin faces.

"Congratulations, Kiba-_kun_," Aoba-_sensei _began, "you know how to look scary."

"Oh yeah? _Gatsuga_!" Both Kibas jumped up and clapped their hands together, causing them to spin at a dangerous rate.

'_I wonder if they'll get dizzy like that?_' Tatsuko thought.

"Okay, you know a topspin. But you're limited by your dizziness tolerance." Aoba-_sensei _said, after dodging both attacks effortlessly.

"_Tsuga_!" One Kiba continued the attack solo, while the other held back a bit.

"_Shikyaku no-jutsu_!" The other Kiba spun around, and started running in a canine fashion at their opponent. Both attacks struck their opponent head on, ripping the man to pieces.

"NO!" Yuuna was horrified. She watched, terror stricken, as parts of Aoba-sensei were torn out of place.

POOF!

A tree stump plopped to the ground, in pieces. Kiba looked on in fascination, wondering how he had missed it.

"_Kawarimi no-jutsu_. A handy trick to use. I am actually quite shocked that you didn't expect it." The suspected victim explained, suddenly right behind the shorter girl.

"WAAAAAA!" Yuuna jumped and clung onto to Tatsuko for dear life.

"Well, that is enough for now, Kiba-_kun_. Very well done." He smiled at the boy happily. "Now, would you care to go next?" Aoba asked the blond of the group. He was somewhat taken back when she gauged him coolly.

"If you want." Tatsuko shrugged.

'_Why do I get the impression she is not impressed with me?_' Aoba thought, getting a familiar tingle at the base of his spine. He was getting exited about a match with a pre-_genin_? That doesn't make sense!

"Same rules as with as with Kiba-_kun_?" She asked, taking a ready stance.

"If you think you can handle it." He said vaguely. How far could she take the match? Why was he so interested in her? Sure she was a Senju, but to get this exited?

Then she disappeared.

"Whoa!" Her trail was hard to follow - well, harder than Kiba's at least. She was fast! But more than that, she was not sloppy. Aoba found himself dodging wave after wave of attacks, volleys of _kunai _and smoke bombs to hide her presence.

Sure, if he compared her to most people he knew, she was nothing special. But compared the Class-E _taijutsu _and speed he was supposed to test her for... she was a shining star! Still he felt there was something he was missing...

'_The pattern! She is laying up traps within her attacks!_' Aoba actually had to start pushing himself a bit, as evades were being made more and more difficult. The shuriken and kunai she threw were all lined up like a grid on the ground, she was setting up a much more complex strategy than someone of her skill should know.

"Check!" She shouted proudly. Check? Did she think she was playing _Shogi_?

"What are you playing at?" He asked her out loud.

"Strategy. Since you are too busy trying to test me, you failed to notice the pins and wires placed."

'_Pins and wires?_' He looked around, the _shiruken _and _kunai _were all he could see. So it was a reference to something else then. Pins and wires, pins and wires... '_Living steel wire!_'

Two hands reached into an oversized jacket's sleeves; one pulling out two _shuriken _and wire, the other pulling out a... bamboo stick with holes? The wire and ninja stars were tossed callously into the air, while the stick was brought to her lips and the top of it was kissed, producing a single jumbled note.

'_A flute, huh? Can't say I'm surprised._' Aoba thought, carefully gauging his surroundings for the tell-tale signs of a _genjutsu_.

Seconds went by, revealing not just a lack of _genjutsu_, but a lack of more than one note? What made it weirder, the girl's fingers were flying from hole to hole, covering, uncovering, then re-covering them again. Still, there was no change in the tone the flute made.

"_Senju Mateki - Ikite iru hagane-sen_!" What the...! That wasn't even Tatsuko's voice. It sounded almost as if the flute was talking? However, there was not time to mull over that!

The wire snaked its way through the rings on the butt of the kunai turning the grid into a two-dimensional puzzle. The two _shuriken _simply hovered several metres high and twenty metres apart. '_All this without a single hand-seal?_'

Sure Aoba could have simply attacked her, but he was curious about what she could do with the _jutsu_. He knew the living steel was easy to defeat: simply hit it with fire. The heat would melt the steel and the chakra would diffuse the _jutsu_. It's just... well dammit, what she was doing with it just made him curious.

"_Gyoen no bouei_!" The puzzle shifted and moulded into the frame of a tent. All it needed was some cloth or wood and it could become a comfortable home. Slowly, as the wires shifted more, Aoba could see a whole new level. There were now wire-frames hallways, doors, windows... there were forms and figures everywhere, almost resembling a maze.

'_She is making a very complex 3D puzzle with this simple jutsu. Unless you precisely estimate the wires, you could easily be ripped to shreds. Impressive way to show off your brainpower._' He looked at her carefully now, she was definitely not someone to underestimate. Then, the pattern her flute playing had been following changed; she had changed the pattern just before the last _jutsu _too. '_Is there more?_'

"_Jigoku no meriigourandou_!" The flute sang again; then the wire-frame house began to spin. Slowly, true, but it was moving! Aoba smiled as he had to start planning a little better now, and dodging a LOT better. This was going to get interesting.

The only thing that was really keeping his limbs attached to his body was quick reflexes. No energy was being wasted on either side either. Every time Aoba found a pattern in the _jutsu_, Tatsuko would immediately notice and change it again. Either by shifting the turning axis, or by tugging the wholes in the wire tighter or even by shifting entire sections into other shapes and patterns.

'_Even for a low level jutsu, this is dangerous!_' Aoba thought as he jumped through yet another hole, then watched as the hole shift closed behind him. '_Well, I guess this is as far as she can take it. Still, very impressive._' He was just about to overpower her jutsu, when he noticed something... her flute playing pattern was changing again.

"Do you want another challenge? Or have you had enough?" She (the flute?) asked him playfully.

'_She has more up her sleeve?_' He wondered in awe. "Gimme all you've got!" He announced with a cocky grin.

The fingers of Senju Tatsuko started dancing frantically now, as the _mateki_'s song became agitated. The monotonous, jumbled note was gone now; in its place came the fury of an off-key allegro. "Countdown to doom _jutsu_." The flute announced again.

"What the..." Metre by metre of the wire was suddenly being sucked back into his opponent's pouch, forcing the cage to constrict around him at an alarming rate... and he had to admit, it certainly was a cage now!

'_No helping it now. Still, I am impressed._' He said, then focused and simply disappeared.

"You got the most of what you had." Aoba said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Aya! Where... how... but..." Yuuna was completely confused, but Tatsuko just smiled.

"I take it you enjoyed the workout?" She asked him.

"It certainly was more than I was expecting. But after seeing what happened at the spring festival, I guess I should have known better." He said, smiling at her. "Now clean this mess up, I still have one student to test." His jocular tone hid whatever he was feeling, but that didn't stop Tatsuko from deflating completely.

She focused on her jutsu for another long moment and the kunai, the shuriken and the wire flew back into her pouch, leaving no sign that a battle had taken place at all - if you ignored the cuts in the earth where the weapons once lay embedded.

"What happened at the festival then?" Kiba asked, as Yuuna started her round with Aoba-_sensei_.

"Nothing." She turned away from him, hugging herself with her eyes cast down. The new crease between her now knit eyebrows and the slight sheen in her eyes plainly showed what she felt. Unfortunately, Kiba was too focussed on Yuuna's match to really notice anything.

Aoba-_sensei _had just blocked a front kick, as he sweeped her other leg. The girl landed ungracefully on her bum, mumbling something incoherent. The chuunin decided now was a good time to take a few healthy steps back.

'_She may not be that fast... but her brute strength makes up for it._' He thought, trying to ignore the stinging in his left wrist. '_I'd better not block any more of her attacks, she might accidentally break something on me!_' Aoba knew that not every attack only hurts the target. A sloppy punch could easily shatter your own elbow and/or wrist!

Yuuna got up, still grumbling, and stole a quick glance at Tatsuko; who was - unfortunately for Aoba - preoccupied in her own little world. It wasn't hard for the redhead to figure out what was wrong with her blond. Or more importantly, who had caused it...

She darted forward and shot a right roundhouse punch at his ribs that was meant to break each and every one of them... only to have him bend over backwards to dodge. Aoba placed both hands flat to maintain balance, then - while arching his back and bending backwards - he slipped his left foot behind her right knee. Pulling her off-balance with his foot, he then caught, balanced and held her bridal style using only his shins and feet.

"If you landed that punch, you might have broken something. You need to control your anger better." He then placed her back on the ground, and flipped over to stand up. "Still, very impressive. I've seen enough for now. Kiba, I want you to work with Tatsuko on her taijutsu, while she helps you with tactics. You both can learn a lot from each other on those topics. Yuuna, I will be working with you on your _taijutsu_, simply because I think you might break Kiba."

* * *

'_What is it with these two?_' Kiba asked himself for what must have been the hundredth time. They had all been sitting and enjoying their meal in silence for the past fifteen minutes.

"Hey _sensei_, what happened at the spring festival?" Kiba couldn't help being nosy. He already had these two girls on his mind since before lunch the day before, and he understood almost nothing of either of them.

"It's a long story, and I'm not entirely sure Tatsuko-_chan_ would want me to tell it." Aoba said simply, sipping at his tea.

"Aw come on. It's not like I'm going to start acting goofy because of it." Kiba pleaded, then turned to Tatsuko. "Come on Tatsuko-_chan_, you know I'm not like that."

Tatsuko looked away from the canine-boy. "Nothing out of the ordinary." Came a small voice. Aoba was suddenly glad that he always wore his shades, because they hid the completely shocked and sad look that his eyes held.

"Will you at least tell me why Hikaru refers to you two as 'his girls'?" Kiba ventured, refusing to give up.

"That's because he is the only one who has ever protected either of us." Yuuna said softly. A lone tear escaped from Tatsuko, mutely cascading down her pale cheek. Kiba didn't notice it at all, but Aoba couldn't have missed it if he wanted to.

"So that gives him the right to claim you to be his?" Kiba asked, not thinking about what it really meant.

"Yuuna, I think we need to go and do our afternoon workout. I'm sure Aoba-_sensei _and Kiba won't mind cleaning up while we're gone." Tatsuko's voice wave heavily laden with an emotion that Aoba couldn't pin down, and that was not something he was used to. Suddenly Tatsuko jumped to her feet and walked towards the lake in the distance, dragging Yuuna behind her.

"_Na-... nani_?" Kiba was left feeling completely lost, and more than a little ashamed. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Nothing worse than what they must be used to." Aoba said sadly.

"Aoba-_sensei_, could'ya please stop speaking in codes. Cause I really ain't getting nothing about this." Kiba griped.

"I'm pretty sure that Tatsuko left so that she didn't have to explain anything, but left us the task of cleaning up so that you could ask whatever you wanted to me... Or I could just be reading her wrong." Aoba said vaguely.

"So what happened then?" Kiba felt hopeful that maybe he could finally understand something about those two.  
"I don't know about even half of what they went through, but I was there last spring when she got into trouble. The worst part is she did nothing wrong." Aoba had a far away look in his eyes, thinking back to the festival.

"I was there with my cousin, Yuuhi Kurenai and... a friend of hers. The day was nice, but the night was simply gorgeous. There was a group of women doing a traditional dance and there were a few musicians playing the song that accompanied that specific dance. Suddenly there was a flute being played, and everyone knew that there were no wind instruments used by the musicians, so people were curious about what was going on. Moments later everyone was trapped in a mass _genjutsu_, only this _genjutsu_ was different." Aoba thought about the peculiar moment a little longer, which Kiba took as a dramatic pause (like all good story tellers used). Kiba sat silently, totally absorbed in the story.

"The buildings slowly faded away, the clouds disappeared, even the noises from the children running around were suddenly missing. The stars were shining majestically, more beautiful than any... no every other time anyone had looked at them. The moon was suddenly bigger too, like it was falling to the Earth, but not in a horrid way. No... it was all just so romantic. A shame I was there with my cousin, but anyway. The wind suddenly carried the scent of sweet flowers, and even carried a few cherry blossoms with it. The dancers were engulfed in a beautiful light, like the very Heavens were moved by their performance. All in all, it was a festival that was worthy of _Kami-sama_." Another dramatic pause ensued.

"Or so I thought... the townsfolk who realised that it was a _genjutsu_ were furious. They saw it as practice for something much more sinister. So much so, that when they found her they started throwing rocks at her. Kurenai and I had to intervene to save the girls life, but that didn't spare her the pain. The townspeople accused us of defending a demon and were about to start attacking us too, but _Hokage-sama_ intervened. He had the ANBU escort us and Tatsuko to his office.

"Kurenai and I both gave detailed explanations of what happened, including the _genjutsu_ itself. After hearing it, Tatsuko just asked how we could have seen it. She was completely unaware that her music had any affect on anyone else, or even if anyone else was listening to her play. Eventually _Hokage-sama_ asked her to play her flute again, thinking about the dance. Again we were all trapped in the _genjutsu_, only this time everything seemed bleak, like it was meant for a funeral; and when she stopped playing, the _genjutsu_ faded away. No one seemed to know of _any_jutsus that you could activate with nothing more than the notes from a flute, not even _Hokage-sam_a himself. Until Danzou-_sama _pointed out that they were famous in the Rice Patty Country."

"What so everyone thought she was a spy from another village then?" Kiba asked a bit subdued. He began to understand how the girls felt, even if only just a little bit, and he didn't like it.

"Oh no, people thought she was possessed. That some demon had taken control of her and was going to destroy the village." Aoba said honestly, with a heartfelt sadness gripping his heart.

"Why the heck would they think something THAT stupid?" Kiba asked dumbfounded. Aoba knew that his family, or anyone in the village really, had never told him the story.

"Well, have you ever heard about the _Kyuubi_ that attacked _Konohagakure_?"

"Yeah, everyone knows about that. _Yondaime Hokage-sama_ died defeating it; but what does that have to do with Tatsuko, or anyone for that matter, being possessed by a demon?" Kiba's head was starting to hurt from trying to figure this all out. Aoba was quiet for a long time, and the look on his face depicted the horrific scenes playing out in his head.

"If you are truly lucky, Kiba-_kun_... you'll never know."

**END CHAPTER 3**

* * *

**A/N: Once again, much love to my beta-reader! Kiravu, I'd kiss you if I thought my nuts were safe afterwards ;)**

**Anyway, I know this chapter is significantly shorter than the previous two. I hope that the changes brought to it and the fight scenes make up for it though.**

**Read&Review = quicker updates, for those who haven't figure that out btw.**

_Teme - Bastard, what Naruto calls any he doesn't like._

_Dobe_ - Loser, dead last. I had to get this one from Urban Dictionary.

_Suwaru_ - Sit.

_Juujin bunshin no-jutsu - Man _Beast Clone _jutsu_.

Gatsuga – Fang over fang.

Shikyaku no-jutsu – On all fours jutsu

Tsuga – the jutsu used without their animal familiar.

Kawarimi no-jutsu – Replacement jutsu.

_Senju Mateki - Ikite iru hagane-sen_ - Senju Magical flute - Living steel wire.

_Gyoen no bouei_ - Imperial Garden's defence.

_Jigoku no meriigourandou_ - Hell's Merry-go-round.


	4. Arc1: The comfort of a troubled heart

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc**_

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect our favourite blond dobe?**_

_**All**__**underlined**__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

The sun was slowly edging its way to the Western horizon, painting the sky with a wonderful melange of orange, gold and fiery red. Birds were chirping merrily, trying to get everything ready for their good night's rest.

In the training grounds seventeen through twenty-one, four cells of academy students were allowing their day of training to wind down into evening... and hopefully a night of rest.

"You two taking a break?" Kiba asked Tatsuko and Yuuna, who were looking at the sunset. He walked up to them hoping to chat a bit with the girls.

"Nn." Tatsuko noised affirmatively.

"Hey, I just wanted to tell you, I'm not like the others." Kiba said, thinking about what Aoba-sensei told him earlier. He didn't really understand - or even know - everything that they had been through, but he needed them to know that he was different. They simply had to know! '_Kami-sama, I hope I don't sound desperate..._'

"She knows." Yuuna said softly and smiled about some private joke, earning her an elbow in her ribs. "That wasn't very nice, _Nee-chan_."

"I know, Kiba. It's just hard to remember that sometimes." Tatsuko said somberly.

"_Neee-chaaaaaan_, now you're ignoring me." Yuuna whined playfully. Kiba shook his head with a smile.

"You two are totally different than when you are in class."

"Hey, Yuuna, can you come give me a hand with this?" Aoba called to her. He was gathering stones in a circle to start a camp fire.

"_Hai_!" Yuuna answered happily, knowing that her team mates probably wanted a little time alone. She ran towards Aoba-_sensei_, to help him as best she could.

"What makes you say that?" Tatsuko asked. Her voice was even, calm... at peace.

"Usually Yuuna is like Hinata, barely ever making a peep; and you..." He paused, thinking about how Tatsuko was in class. "You are usually bubbly, like Ino." Kiba thought out loud.

"Oh." Her voice was soft, but there seemed to be a hint of... something in it. Kiba couldn't quite place it.

"Not that it's a bad thing." Kiba back-peddled quickly. He didn't want to upset her. "Actually, it's kinda nice." A smile crept onto his face as he (unconsciously) took a step closer to her.

"Oh?" This time her voice was a bit more like her usual self. Kiba thought he heard her joyous tone on the wind. He couldn't be sure though, she seemed to keep her emotions locked down.

"Yeah, it's nice to know that you trust me, even if only just a little bit." The sun was almost completely set now, and the first stars were starting to come out.

"Maybe I do..." Tatsuko said vaguely, but her voice hinted that she did.

Both of them stood there for a long moment, saying nothing. Somehow it was less awkward than they thought it would be, the silence between them felt... well, it felt right. Like there was nothing that needed being said at the moment.

"Is it important to you that I trust you?" Again Kiba heard something in her voice that seemed to give her words a completely different meaning. He knew that she was asking something important to her... but he just couldn't figure out why. Somehow, he needed to understand what she really wanted to hear.

"In a class you need to be able to trust your classmates." Kiba began, watching her reaction carefully from the corner of his eye. She deflated a bit. He had been raised by his mother and his sister, so he understood certain aspects of how girls reacted.

"In a team you need to trust your teammates." He continued. She pepped up a little at that. "In a friendship you need to trust your friends..." With that she smiled, and not just any smile either. Kiba felt the warmth of the midday sun radiating from her, even though the evening chill was setting in.

"I think so too." She had a faraway look in her eyes, but the smile didn't go away.

* * *

"Alright, time for for night training!" Aoba announced after dinner.

"Aoooooobaaaaaaa-_senseeeeeeeei_, if we traaaaaaaain right now we'll get craaaaaaaaamps." Yuuna whined in a high-pitched voice.

"Oh, ye of little faith. This is a chakra focusing exercise." Came the sagely explanation. "Come, come, everyone sit in a circle. Backs to each other." They complied, moving slowly after the intense physical training they had endured all day long.

"All right, now I know that you have done these kinds of exercises before, but mine are a bit different. First you need to make a hand seal, doesn't matter which one, just so long as you are comfortable with it. For now at least." Aoba gave them a minute to calm their minds, taking careful notes of who used what seal.

Kiba was using the _inu_ - dog - seal, no big surprise there. '_Fiercely loyal to his companions, an adept hunter. Leans more to Taijutsu._'

Yuuna was using the _hitsuji_ - ram - seal, also not very surprising. '_Gentle to her friends, harsh to those who would harm them. Leans more to Earth elemental jutsus_.'

Tatsuko was using the _toru_ - tiger - seal, this one caught him a bit off guard. '_Fiercely territorial, strong willed, intensely passionate. Leans more to Fire elemental jutsus_.'

"Now, I want you to focus on a single point, about an inch above and between your eyebrows. Focus your chakra there... now try to sense your surroundings, keeping your physical eyes closed." Aoba explained in a very calm and low voice. He could feel their focus, it was that intense! Aoba didn't know why, but he just knew that these three would be something special in a few years. "Now focus your chakra in your hands, in your seals." What happened next left Aoba completely in shock.

Akamaru jumped on Kiba's head and began... humming... in a low soothing note. It almost reminded Aoba of a temple, for some odd reason. The two were in total harmony.

Yuuna was in a deeper state of mind... literally! The ground beneath her dropped almost a solid metre, seeming to almost swallow her whole. "So young and yet so attuned to her element." Aoba thought.

What Tatsuko was doing, though, is what truly shocked him: she was glowing. With each breath, water vapour was coming out of her nostrils, and the area around her seemed to heat up slightly as she exhaled. When she inhaled, the air became chilly. '_It's as if she is absorbing the heat, then breathing it back out... I've never even heard of that. And all three of them are so focused on their hand seals that they aren't noticing what is going on._'

"All right, now slowly release the focus on your chakra." With that things slowly drifted back to normal. Akamaru stopped humming (or whatever he was doing), Yuuna slowly raised back to ground level, and Tatsuko stopped her dragon breathing. "Now open your eyes and tell me what you felt and how many rabbits are in the area, one by one. Starting with Yuuna."

"I felt safe, protected. Like someone was wrapping me in their arms. Yet somehow I felt, powerful too." Yuuna thought long and hard.

"... and the rabbits?" Aoba reminded her.

"I sensed seven. I think..." She answered vaguely.

"Okay, Kiba, your turn." Aoba turned his attention to the lone boy in the group.

"I dunno, I felt kinda calm, but dizzy too. It was almost like me and Akamaru were on the same wavelength too - that was cool - and there were only five rabbits I could sniff out." Kiba said, with a content smile plastered on his lips. Akamaru barked twice and growled, telling Kiba something. "Well, Akamaru thinks that there were fourteen rabbits. His sense of smell is much better than mine anyways."

"Interesting." Aoba said quietly. He himself counted fourteen rabbits, three sniffing around above ground, the others settling down below ground. "And Tatsuko?" This is the explanation he wanted to hear most of all.

"I felt... cold, like someone threw me into a bucket of ice water." She rubbed her hand together and breathed into them, then rubbed them together again. She was clearly still feeling a bit cold.

"Let me feel your hands." Aoba instructed, reaching his left hand out to touch hers. She nervously held out both hands, which he tapped with his index and middle finger. '_Several degrees colder than it should be. That must be her kekke genkai, the ice element. Well, I know how to test that later._' Aoba thought to himself.

"There were fourteen rabbits I could sense." Tatsuko said after pulling her hands back, wrapping them in her oversized jacket that Kiba handed her moments earlier. Aoba was now REALLY glad for his shades, because they probably kept his eyes from popping out of his head.

'_She managed to spot all of them._' He thought in complete amazement. He thought for a moment longer. '_So did Kiba and Akamaru. Only Yuuna counted the groups of rabbits. This is a very interesting group._'

* * *

"Hey Tatsuko-_chan_, come here a sec will you. There's something I want to show you." Aoba was standing near the water just away from the camp they made.

"_Hai_!" Tatsuko replied curtly and walked towards her _sensei_. When she was close enough, Aoba took something out of his pouch on his left thigh.

"Take this." He handed her a piece of paper, there seemed to be nothing special about it. "Now I want you to focus like you did before, focus your chakra into a tiger seal, while keeping that paper in your hand."

Obediently, the blond did as she was told. Wondering all the while what the paper had to do with anything. After only a few seconds, Aoba told her to stop and to hand him the paper.

"Well this is unexpected." Aoba said in an even tone.

"What is, Aoba-_sensei_?" Tatsuko could make no sense of anything he was doing at the moment. Was it a form of fortune telling?

"You show a deep potential for the Ice element, yet you do not use the Air element to do so." He explained so calmly, you would never have guessed it was unexpected.

"How did you know about that?" The blond girl felt like she was about to faint from shock. She had been so careful to tell no one, and show no one what she was capable of, but this man knew... and knew it well, it seemed. He even knew that she didn't use the wind element...

"Well, this little piece of paper is a closely guarded family secret. It reacts with a person's chakra, revealing their affinity, or affinities with certain elements, and chakra types. My clan was famous for it at one time, but because we never explained how to make it, or sold it on the market, people searched for other methods. Which suits us just fine." Aoba explained, which the girl caught nothing of. "Anyways, look." He gave her the paper again. The morbid look on her face saddened Aoba somewhat, thinking that she didn't trust him at all.

"_Suiton, Fūton, Hyōton, Ototon. _Water, Fire, Ice and Sound." Her voice quivered, and tears were welling up in her eyes. "After hiding it so well for years. One stupid piece of paper manages to rat me out."

"Years?" Aoba didn't even notice the insult to his heritage. "How could you manage to unlock and hone four different types of chakra by yourself?" He tried to keep the reverence and amazement out of his voice, but only partly succeeded.

"Does it matter? Just hurry up and go tell your buddies all about it." Tatsuko plopped on the ground, pulling her legs up and hugged them, trying to comfort herself. She obviously felt down right miserable. Aoba put his hand on her head, rubbing her hair gently.

"I don't betray my comrades." He tried to comfort her as best he could.  
Tatsuko blew air out of her nose in distaste. "As if adults know anything of loyalty, of trust." Her words were harsh, but Aoba saw the broken heart hidden in her eyes.  
"Some adults may not value these things... but I do. A _shinobi _never abandons his friends, or goes back on his word. That is the way of the _Konoha shinobi_, that is my _nindo_."  
"..." Tatsuko just sat there, not speaking or moving for a long while. Aoba was not sure what to say to show her that he meant every word, but there was always tomorrow.  
"You wanna see something cool?" He asked her. Still no reaction from her, so he decided to show off a bit.

"_Mi-toru-saru-i-uma-tora. Katon -_ _Goukakyu no Jutsu!" _With one heaving breath, the night was filled with a giant ball of fire, no less than four metres in diameter. Aoba blew the flame for almost a good thirty seconds, before allowing the _jutsu _to end. Suddenly he felt her eyes glued to him. "The fireball _jutsu_, a basic Fire style attack. Not hard to learn, but quite tricky to truly master. I can teach you how to do it, if you would only let me in a little bit."  
He turned to look her in the eyes, to show that he was truly different, but she only looked away.  
"If there is nothing else, Aoba-_sensei_, I'll head back to the warmth of the fire."

* * *

"Hey Aoba-_sensei_, what was that jutsu you were using earlier? Was that the Grand Fireball jutsu Hana told me about?" Kiba asked as Aoba walked towards to campfire.  
"_Hai_, though only the Uchiha claim that name for their jutsu. I prefer to call it the fireball jutsu." Aoba explained.

"So you were really on Hana's team when you were _genin_?" Kiba asked. It occurred to Aoba that he wasn't really sure whether to believe his sister or not.

"_Hai_, Hana-_chan_, Raidou-_kun _and me. They used to call us the 'troublesome trio'." Aoba had tossed another small bunch of twigs into the fire to help keep it going, smiling at something only he could see. "We used to drive _Hokage-sama_ up a wall. Not so much with pranks like the way Naruto does... more with... a youthful creativity."

"Feh, the way Hana tells it, you three were exactly like Naruto." Kiba retorted condescendingly.

"Don't group me with him. He lacks any kind of artistic soul. My art was always about the heroes of the village. It added value to the walls and mountains they were graciously bestowed on." The three students looked at him in a completely non-believing way. "Anyways, that was almost ten years ago. I've grown up a bit since then."

"She also tells me that you and Raidou were the only ones that were there for her after... that incident." Kiba smiled a bit, but there was no life in his smile. "She told me once that she could never thank you two enough for helping her the way you did."

"We were then - and are now - a team. A _shinobi _that abandons his team mates is not worthy of the brand they wear." Aoba explained. "Besides, she was there for me, when I went through much the same thing." Aoba suddenly became a bit deflated himself, though it was greatly kept in check.

"What happened, Aoba-_sensei_?" Yuuna asked worriedly. Truth be told, Aoba didn't want to talk about it - ever! One look at Tatsuko though... that one look told him that if he didn't dare opening up, neither would she.

A pair of concealed eyes were peering morosely into the camp fire. "I lost both of my parents when I was about your age." He paused, trying to not think too much on the past, even as he told the tale. "People always told me how great they were, or how proud I should be to be their son..." There was another long pause. "The only people that understood what I was going through, were my team-mates and _Hokage-sama_."

'_Just like us..._'

"For a long time, I didn't know what to do with myself. So I just lost myself in my training."

Aoba glanced at Yuuna and Tatsuko for a long moment. He could see that his words were striking a chord within each of the pair. He knew about the Senju massacre - it was hard not to hear about it - but somehow it could only make sense to him that the sole survivor was treated like royalty. "If Hokage-sama hadn't taken care of me... if Raidou and Hana hadn't stayed by my side... I'm not sure I would have ever truly survived."

"I'm soooooo sorry for you, sensei!" Yuuna was almost in tears.

"Don't worry, Yuuna-_chan_. There is nothing you can do about it anyways." Aoba tried to comfort her as best he could, but Yuuna didn't seem any less worried.

"_Imouto-chan_, he's okay. Try not to worry so much." Tatsuko said in an almost maternal voice. Aoba looked at the exchange, intrigued at how easily Yuuna calmed down after that.

'_Tatsuko is like a mother to Yuuna, always giving her an emotional shield. She seems to need it sometimes too, since her heart is usually on her sleeve. I wonder if anyone does the same for Tatsuko-chan?_' Aoba wondered to himself, but he quickly saw the troubled look in her eyes...

"You guys wanna hear about the stories of what we used to do?" Aoba asked, trying to offer Tatsuko a bit of reprieve.

"You know we do!" Kiba piped up, obviously loving stories by the camp-fire.

"Well... I remember the one time..." Aoba began, smiling inwardly as all three forgot their troubles for a little while and got lost in the '_good ol' days_' stories.

* * *

The sun had long since set. All temporary inhabitants of training ground twenty-one were tucked in for the night, sleeping soundly... save one. The only pair of eyes that were open were glued to one unsuspecting subject. Her eyes gazed with great interest at the rise and fall of the subject's chest.

Her ears listened intently to the light snoring that matched said chest's rhythm; a perfect whole note. She could use his fitful sleep as a perfect metronome, but then... watching and listening to her metronome in her room was no where near this... fulfilling. There was just something about him.

She thought about that for a long moment, still partially entranced by his hypnotic breathing. What was it about him? Why did he make her blush like a school girl? Why did that damnable smile of his take her breath away? Why were his lips so tempting to touch, so mysteriously attractive? Why did he tie her insides into a pretzel just by looking at her?

Even now, the temptation to seize his lips with hers was almost too great to resist; with that angelic air about him as he slept. So why was she even hesitating?

'_What are you thinking? You can't do that while he's sleeping!_' A voice inside her shouted incredulously. She knew what she had to do... she had to talk to them. Even if they wouldn't answer her, she needed to collect her thoughts...

A minute later, a pair of pink eyes gazed wistfully out at the water. There were only two things in this world that could comfort her troubled heart: her flute, and water. Seeing that they were the only things that tied her to her parents, it wasn't really surprising to the blond.

_Mateki jutsu_, her mother's _jutsu_. Tatsuko didn't know her mother. Not in the sense that you never really know someone... she simply couldn't remember ever meeting the woman. Pictures were all she ever had. Pictures, and scrolls containing Senju _mateki jutsu._That was why she mastered her flute at such a young age, it was practically the only tie she had to a woman she'd never meet.

Water though... water was perhaps twice as special to the Senju. Her heritage played a major role in that. Her role model, though long gone now, was none other than Senju Tobirama, the Water Dragon of _Konohagakure_. He was so renowned for his _suiton jutsu_, that _Kiri _refused to go to war against the leaf during his reign as _Hokage_. What would be the point? Even their own _jutsu _would be used against them if they faced him!

The other, and perhaps most endearing reason water calmed her, was her _Tou-chan_. Even her earliest memories were of the two of them training near the water. Always training.

'_Did I really inherit your hyouton, Tou-chan_?' The blond wondered in awe.

'_One cannot hope to harness ice, without water. I remember the day you told me that, but I always thought you were teaching me so that we could teach **him **when he was ready. Had you always known I would inherit your jutsu as well as Okaa-sama's?_' Her thoughts were a collection of unanswerable analytical inquiries, as they usually were. As innumerable as the stars in the sky.

She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping pre-emptively for the depression she knew was coming. Slowly, she brought her flute to her lips, praying to the Heavens to take away her pain. '_Just one day without having to cry over for everyone that was lost. Just one moment that I can truly say that I am happy. Is that too much to ask?_' She didn't think it was, but it was obvious that the Heavens were still debating the matter.

'_Have I been playing Okaa-sama's __aicho __the whole time?_' She didn't know why she played it as often as she did. She hated hearing sad songs, with a passion even. However, as soon as it came to playing to sooth her frayed nerves... **that **_aicho _was the first thing to jump out of her flute.

'_Maybe I should try to get some sleep. Maybe not looking at him will help?_' She wondered. Doubtful.

* * *

Breakfast the following morning was a quiet affair. Yuuna couldn't seem to focus on anything other than the puffiness around her _Nee_-_chan_'s eyes, or the bags beneath them. No one seemed to want to comment on either point. Kiba managed to catch twice the amount of fish needed, but no one seemed to notice.

Training began as quickly as possible, though not quick enough for the blond; and true to design, Aoba was paying much less attention to the individual and more to the group on a whole. If only the timing was better.

"Yuuna-_chan_, stop staring at Tatsuko and focus on your actual target!" Aoba-_sensei _warned the redhead. Everything seemed off with team Aoba that morning. Everything. There was no team work to be seen, the blond brains seemed to have waited for dawn to fall asleep, the brawns couldn't see past said blond's almost haunted eyes, and the pup seemed to be the saddest target in the history of stealth training... The boy was actually walking closer to her ever chance he got, while trying to make it look inconspicuous. Which he failed miserably.

'_At this rate, we might as well just call it quits and go back to the academy. How can one person affect a whole team on this level?_' It was sad really. They had been at it for just over an hour, and so far they had not properly executed the assassination attempt once. True, Aoba didn't call it an assassination set-up... to their faces, but this was a textbook 'kill the target before he notices' exercise. In his book, that was assassination pure and simple.

"Maybe we should just take a break. Yuuna, go check how much we have left over from breakfast. Kiba, you and Akamaru go scout around for whatever meat you can find. Tatsuko... get yourself together." The shades-wearing _shinobi _instructed his charges. '_Kami-sama, this really is no time for celestial jokes._'

**End Chapter 4**

* * *

**_A/N: As always, much love going out to Kiravu, my beta-reader. Don't know what I would do without you :D_**

**_I would complain about the lack of reviews, but nah. I'll just base my overwhelming success on the fact that you are still reading :P_**

**_"Reviews are like ramen: you'll starve without 'em, dattebayo!"_**

_Nindo - Ninja way/Way of the Ninja._

Aicho - A requiem. A mournful melody.


	5. Arc1: A change of pace

_****__**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc**_

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect our favourite blond dobe?**_

_**All underlined terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

The sun was almost had its highest point now, glaring down unhappily on three academy students and their elite _chuunin _instructor. I mean, how could anything be happy about three would-be ninjas failing so spectacularly that the _chuunin _felt like bashing his own head into a rock?

'_To hell with sending them back to the Academy! At this point, I might as well just tell them to quit trying to be a ninja!_' Aoba glared at Kiba, Yuuna and Tatsuko. '_If it wasn't for the jounin exams, I would have told them to quit hours ago. 'Cause this is pointless... no, less than pointless! How can you manage to mess up walking behind someone that doesn't know you're there?_'

"All right, you three. Time to take a break... **again**." Aoba announced, ending in a harsh tone. Three pre-teens sat down heavily near the fire, which had out itself sometime during the night.

"Now, who would like to explain to me why you three suck at this?" Aoba asked plainly. He didn't have the time or the patience to hold their hands on something that should come naturally to members of three of Konoha's most prestigious clans.

Not surprisingly, silence was the only answer given.

"No one? **Shocking**." His words were dripping with sarcasm. "Well how about I point it out then: Tatsuko. You are the problem to the team. Not because of your lack of skill, but because of your lack of input. It is obvious that you have been unanimously selected as the leader amongst your peers, but you suck at actually living up to it." The blond hung her head despondently, knowing the man was right.

"Aoba-_sensei_, ain't that a bit harsh?" Kiba asked, hoping to salvage the girl's ego from the onslaught.

"Maybe, but is it accurate?" He gave all three a second to think about that. "I could spend the rest of the day pointing out where you went wrong. However, right now doing it right is more important. So I want to know what is going on in that little head of yours."

"Nothing." She answered dejectedly.

"Nothing made you go for a walk in the middle of the night? Nothing kept you awake until dawn? Nothing is ruining three good students? Why am I having a hard time believing that...?" The look on Tatsuko's face said that what was wrong was a lot more serious than 'nothing'.

"What do you want from me!" Tatsuko suddenly exploded. Without even thinking, she was on her feet, hands balled and shouting at the top of her lungs.

"How about a little honesty?" Aoba probed. He knew she was already past her limit of self control, but he might be able to get through to her better like this... at least, he hoped so...

"...honesty... Honesty...?... HONESTY? The last person that demanded honesty out of me, used that honesty and tried to 'honestly' **rape **me **and **Yuuna!" The blond was beside herself, her breath was ragged and tears were spilling onto her cheeks quicker than her half hearted attempts to wipe them away could deal with.

"So you'll just have to **EXCUSE **my **cynical **approach to every '**HONEST**'person who 'truly' wants to **help **me." She was clenching her hands so tightly that she was drawing blood where her nails dug into her skin. The blond then stormed off towards the river, with Yuuna following closely.

What could Aoba say to that? How could he show the fragile and broken spirit of a clearly abuse little girl that he was different? Even in Konoha, being orphaned - or simply different for that matter - was little different than being a traitor, or worse.

* * *

Down by the riverside, two sisters were having a rather drawn out, and all too familiar, argument.

"Why are you giving them such a hard time?"

"Because I do not trust them."

"What did they do to you?"

"Nothing yet, and I don't plan on blindly giving them that chance."

"You have trust issues, you know."

"And you trust too easily."

"_Nee-chan_, why are you being so difficult? Not everyone is like Uchiha Fugaku."

"Not everyone is like Ii Reimi either."

"Nee-chan, you need to stop being so... so... paranoid."

"My paranoia has kept us alive and safe, _Imouto-chan_. You know that as well as I do."

"So this is what you call living? You don't even trust Kiba enough to give him a fair chance!" Morose pink met angered blue eyes as the younger of the pair refused to give an inch.

"_Imouto-chan_, I understand what you are saying - I really do - but please understand that I am trying to keep you safe. Even at the cost of my life, or my happiness." The blond stated pensively.

"Isn't that why you went to _Hokage-sama_ last week? To keep me safe? So why are you still so stoic and paranoid!"

"You can't be stoic **and **paranoid. Stoic means to live without any kind of passion or emotion, while paranoia is excessive suspicion of the motives of others... which is not necessarily passionately done... Argh, not the point! Can't you see that I just need to keep you and Hikaru safe!"

"_Nee-chan_, I may not be as smart as you or Hi-_chan_, but I **can **see." The redhead stated dejectedly. "I know that I-"

"Don't. Even. Think it!" Came the vehement interruption. "Don't you **dare **see yourself as a burden to me or Hikaru!"

"Even if I don't say it... even if I don't think it... I still feel it, _Nee-chan. Nee-chan_ and Hi-_chan _are both strong enough to defend themselves, but I... I..."

"You are too precious to both of us for either of us to give you the chance..." Tatsuko stepped closer to Yuuna and wrapped her arms around the slight girl, planting a kissed on her forehead. "... and don't ever doubt that."

* * *

After yet another quiet meal, Aoba decided he had had enough of the odd situation. He was not entirely sure how to handle the Senju orphan, but more importantly... he knew he couldn't sit idly by. So, he gathered his courage and his wits to try salvage what he could with the blond.

"Tatsuko, can I talk to you?" The _chuunin_ asked sombrely. Unknown to the man, there was a silent and brief exchange between two girls. No man alive could understand the voluminous discussion that had taken place with no more than a meeting of two pairs of eyes, or the threat of absolute annoyance if one of the pair refused the talk, by an arched red eyebrow and the slight frown that captured the edges of the girl's lips...

"Nn." Was all the blond was able to say. As smart as she was, she knew there was no escaping Yuuna in '_I'm going to annoy you to death_' mode. Well, that... and the fact that they shared a room.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I should have been more concerned with your reasons and your mental and emotional state, than with your performance." The man began, leaving the blond flabbergasted... and the redhead with an amused and obviously satisfied smile on her face. "I know I have no right to even ask, but I am concerned. What kept you up last night?"

"I... um... that is... it's just..." It felt like _Kami-sama_ was playing yet another cosmic joke on the Senju. Suddenly this man knew how to affect her in a way only Yuuna had ever been capable of doing. Now, all she could do was wonder: '_Is Imouto-chan right? Should I trust this... Aoba?_'

"Just... some old memories, I guess." Gone was the confident shell she had crafted around herself, gone was the happy-go-lucky persona that seemed to be called upon with the drop of a hat. Now all there was, was an unhappy little girl with worn eyes and a broken spirit.

"I understand, I think." Aoba seemed to grow old for a moment, then suddenly perked up and smile warmly at her. "I won't press any further. Just know that I am here if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, or to lend a sympathetic ear."

"M-maybe..." Yuuna began, smiling shyly. This instantly earned her the undivided attention of the two males and a very annoyed glare from the other girl.

"Yes, Yuuna-_chan_?" Aoba encouraged her a little.

"M-maybe... _Nee_-_chan_ will t-talk m-more... i-if you did too?" This caught him off guard, his mouth opening in slight shock.

Quickly schooling his features, he smiled cockily at both females. "I'll make you a deal: if all three of you impress me with the drills I wanted to run through with you, I will honestly answer any and every question you have tonight after dinner!"

'_A blank check for questions? With only honest answers!_' A certain academy student's curiosity was aroused... and there was NO chance that she would give up the opportunity to sate her curiosity!

* * *

"All right, now let's run through this one last time. This time, Tatsuko will be the target, and Kiba will be the point man." Aoba instructed. They had spent the whole afternoon running through five strategies. Aoba had them practice each one at least three times, switching positions each time, so that each of them would know what to do regardless of which side of the situation they were on.  
"All right, take your positions." Aoba ordered. The sun was just about to set, so that meant time was running out. They would need to rest up tonight, to be in top condition for the next day - and a to-remain-nameless-_chuunin _had a game of twenty-one questions he still had to suffer through.

All four of them disappeared, and Tatsuko re-appeared between two trees, ten metres farther up. Tatsuko had run the situation through in her head at least five times, and she knew that they were not allowed any kind of contact in the game the following day. So all she needed to do was use the safe word if she felt them close by. That was the point of this exercise, to sense them. Tatsuko closed her eyes and formed the _Tatsu_ - Dragon - seal, focusing her chakra just behind her eyes. "_Hyouhiryugan_."

Aoba was about twenty-five metres away, but he clearly saw the difference when Tatsuko opened her eyes. Her irises, normally pink, were now jade green with a gold overtone, with almost cat-like slit pupils. '_No, too feral to be feline._' Her demeanour was slightly augmented as well. She... well, she glowed with confidence. '_It's almost like she is looking forward to this now._'

"That isn't even fair, _Nee-chan_. How can we sneak up on you like that!" Yuuna whined loudly. Aoba looked at the naive girl, trying to figure out what she was doing.

"You can complain after you stop trying to confuse me." Tatsuko retorted, but not nearly loud enough for her voice to reach anyone, forcing Aoba to read her lips. Kiba was a mere five metres from his target now, seemingly unknown to said target.

"This is going to be interesting." Aoba said in a low voice, causing Tatsuko to look at him dead in the eyes. '_Hmm? Very interesting._' He thought.

Tatsuko tried to look at everything at once. '_Kuso, this is not good. Yuuna knows my weaknesses too good, and Kiba can move around completely soundlessly. He doesn't even need to see me to know where I am, with Akamaru's nose._' She was frustrated, but sadly very impressed with her little sister too.

"Not bad, Yuuna! You are using the situation completely to your advantage!" Tatsuko shouted, hoping that it would help her to pinpoint the missing two people. She knew that Aoba was sitting in a tree 25.2 metres to the South, and that Kiba should be the one closest to her. However, she also knew that Yuuna knew all to well how to get around her _Hyouhiryugan_.

"Aren't you giving me too much credit!" Yuuna teased, giggling a bit. Tatsuko tried to track the voice to its source, but failed miserably.

'_Somehow I doubt that._' Suddenly Tatsuko sensed something moving behind her, she twisted around to catch Akamaru scratching his ear. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. She knew Kiba was never far from his companion, but she couldn't sense him anywhere. There were too much noise around her, and Kiba's stealth made it hard to hear him. Her _doujutsu _was also proving useless at the moment.

'_Come on, Tatsuko, focus... focus._' She chanted mentally. She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing her _Hyōhiryugan _to the point where she could sense the dragon flies near the river... All in vain.

"Tag." Kiba tapped her on her shoulder, smiling from ear to ear. Tatsuko turned to him, opening her eyes. She saw the tag on his forehead...

"_Kuso_, YUUNA! AND YOU COMPLAINED ABOUT ME NOT BEING FAIR!" Tatsuko shouted so loud that Kiba and Akamaru had to block their ears.

* * *

"I don't want to sound dense, but I still don't get how this even worked." Kiba complained as they sat around the camp fire waiting for dinner to finish cooking. They were having fish and potatoes, again. It was the only food that grew wild in their assigned area.

"I think I figured it out, partly anyways." Aoba said, thinking back.

"Her _doujutsu _allows her to see things normal eyes can't see. Like sound waves, which is how she heard me whispering to myself. Kiba, your clan is trained to be stealth hunters, so you know how to move around and not make a single sound, that way she couldn't sense you very well. To complicate things farther, Yuuna was shouting and whining constantly, sending sound waves all over the place, confusing Tatsuko's senses even further. Then that little trick with Akamaru was the straw that broke the camel's back, if I read this right. My only question is what the tag on your forehead had to do with it." Aoba explained.

"You are only half right, Aoba-_sensei_. Seeing sound waves is one of the three things my _Hyouhiryugan _sees. I can also see the well into the infra red spectrum - body heat, and heat sources - and moisture levels. Basically, every element I master, I can sense with my _jutsu." _Tatsuko explained. "And that tag Yuuna put on your forehead, is a family secret of hers. It allows her to cast _jutsus_ through the person that wears the tag."

"..." Kiba was speachless. He had never imagined that Tatsuko held that potent a secret.

"So she used her Earth style jutsu to mask his and her body heat." Aoba deduced.

Kiba's eyes went wide with shock. He knew that he felt at one with the earth, but thought it was because he was crawling around in it. He tried to say something intelligent, and insightful... but all he could manage was: "_Su-sugoi_."

"It wasn't that special. Hi-_chan_ figured that trick out a few months back, we just never had the oppertunity to try it against her." Yuuna said, blushing from all the attention and compliments.

"Come on, _Imouto-chan_, you beat me fair and square." Tatsuko offered, throwing an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Besides, Karu couldn't have managed that without your help anyways."

"Well, I guess that's true." Yuuna smiled and blushed at the compliment.

Aoba announced that the food was done, and all four grabbed their stick with a fish on it, and - using the same stick - poked their potato still hidden in the fire.

"_Itadakimasu_!" They corused.

* * *

Eventually dinner ended. Even after Aoba had eaten twice as slow as he normally would. Even after offering to run to a twenty-four-hour convenience store that had terrific ice cream sandwiches. Nothing seemed to dull the childlike joy barely hidden behind a pair of pink eyes.

"All right, team. A deal's a deal. You three not only impressed me, but showed superior skills all afternoon." He sighed dramatically. "So, without further ado. Take your best shot."

He would forever regret EVER saying that to these three. Anyone else would have probably asked things that any idiot could answer, or only an idiot would ask...

**~Over in the camp of team Izumo~**

Naruto suddenly sneezes. Too bad he was facing Sasuke at the time, causing said emo to react in a very non-emo-like fashion.

"Now. You. Die."

"Nice shot, Uzumaki! I'd say that's S-class aim." Hikaru joked, while laughing at the Uchiha-teme dashing for the blond of their group.

**~Back in the camp of team Aoba~**

The team captain was just mulling over a rather intriguing question. "I dunno, never thought about joining the ANBU... but I guess the intelligence division is where I would fit in best." He answered Yuuna.

"Really? I would've pegged you for a T&I man, myself. So you really prefer intelligence gathering and codes to interrogation?" Kiba asked.

"Well, I am working for the Interrogation Department right now, but I am looking to relocate in the future. It isn't hard to tell that I am never going to be the best there, so why not try my hand at my other talents. Perhaps broaden my portfolio a bit. That way, if things get quiet in T&I I won't have to worry about paying my bills."

Tatsuko's turn again. They had all settled into an unplanned rhythm of one question each, which meant he took as long as possible to answer Yuuna and Kiba... before Tatsuko got another chance.

So far he had been astounded at the speed Tatsuko was gauging him four times. The business card information was shot through the window at the first opportunity! The only things she was interested in were his battle tactics (distract and decapitate), his _taijutsu _stances (non existant, he preferred the flexibility of free form fighting), whether he was a sensory type or not (yes), did he have a _kekkei __genkai _(yes). Very specific, very revealing... very personal information to a _shinobi_.

"What is your _kekkei __genkai_?" That makes five times now. Even though he saw the question coming, it didn't really make that much of a difference.

'_She is really getting me back for using my family's chakra paper on her last night..._' He rubbed his right index finger and thumb against the bridge of his nose, briefly raising his shades.

"So your eyes are red, what does that have to do with your bloodline limit?" She was not going to let him off easy... not in the least.

He sighed for the... ach, he lost count how many times her questions caused him to sigh. This girl would be a shoe in for interrogations, she had an obvious knack for it! He was definitely going to talk to Yamanaka-_san _about letting her watch them work one of these days. '_I wonder if there is a bring-some-kid-you-don't-really-know-to-work-day no one told me about?_' He sighed again.

"It's a very uncommon, nearly unheard of _doujutsu _call the _Kokorogan._ The mind's eye." He answered her. He hoped she wouldn't come up with anything deeper than that, but he doubted it.

"But _Nee_-_chan _said that came from the Ii clan! Are you from that clan?" Great, it wasn't even the Senju's turn and he was still getting her questions! He sighed again...

"My mother's maiden name was Ii, and yes, she was from the Ii clan. However, no one really goes by that name much any more, other than Aunt Reimi. She's kinda stubborn." Why did he offer any amount of questions as a reward! At this rate he'll be answering questions well into next Christmas!

"What happened to your clan then?" Kiba wondered. Did they have this planned out? Were they following some pre-agreed-on script? And why did he say he would answer them honestly? Even if he gave short answers, he knew that the brainiac would just follow up on it and get the most out of him she possibly could! He sighed again.

"Well, our clan's techniques favoured the fairer sex, so my ancestors researched everything they could to ensure the majority of pregnancies bore girls. So we ended up marrying into other clans often enough to ensure that there was enough fresh blood to keep us strong." He rubbed his nose again, seeing that Tatsuko was actually thinking this time. Odds of her asking an easy question we less than zero.

"What are the strengths and weaknesses of the _Kokorogan_?" She had to ask...

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat." He fake-yawned, trying his best to avoid the question. "We really should call it a night, seeing that we have that long, drawn out, twenty-four-hour long game of Ninja-tag at dawn."

* * *

Later that night, after everyone had gone to sleep, Tatsuko walked down to the river. She sat near the river bed and marvelled at the countless stars in the sky, thinking back on everything that had happened in the last two days. She thought about what Kiba told her...

_/ "... I'm not like the others..."_

_"... In a friendship you need to trust your friends..."/_

... and about what Aoba-_sensei_ had told her too.

_/ "... I am here if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, or to lend a sympathetic ear..."/_

She thought about whether or not it was a smart move to show them her _jutsu_... but mostly, she wondered how Hikaru would react when he found out.

"I wonder how Hikaru is doing?" Tatsuko asked no one in particular.

"I wouldn't worry about him, Raidou-_kun _would never let anything happen." Aoba smiled, walking over to where she was sitting.

"Good evening, Aoba-_sensei_. I thought everyone was asleep." Tatsuko said, not sounding in the least bit surprised.

"I was, but I have a nasty habit of waking at the slightest sound." He teased.

"Oh... _Gomen_." She blushed, suddenly realising how he knew she went for a walk the night before.

"No need for that. I was hoping to talk to you anyways." Aoba said with a serious look on his face.

"... about my _doujutsu_, right?" She asked cautiously. She was already unsure if she should trust him as much as she did.

"_Hai_. The _Hyouhiryugan_. I have been thinking about what you said, and I wonder if you know that people will notice it if you should use it tomorrow. You said yourself that you didn't want people to know, right?"

"_H-hai_." She suddenly felt stupid for not trusting him. '_Maybe Yuuna is right. Maybe I need to trust people more... Well, certain people at least._'

"Any thoughts on how to hide it completely?" He asked her. She shook her head in the negative. "Do you want to use it tomorrow, or at all in the future?"

"If it meant showing people that I am a freak... No, I'd rather not use it at all." Aoba came closer to her, and sat down next to her. He gazed at the stars for a long moment, sorting out his thoughts.

"I don't know about the whole 'being a freak' thing... but I can tell that it is important to you. So why not try covering your eyes with something?" He offered.

"Like you with your shades?" She guessed.

"Well, these are more intended for the style. However I do use my shades to help focus for certain _jutsu_, and you would never guess my _kekkei genkai_ without me removing them. You would need to find something that suits you though." He said vaguely.

"Well, that means I'd have to wait until after we get back to go shopping for something." Somehow she felt like she would let down her team if she didn't give it her all. She knew that Hikaru knew her weaknesses too, so if his team had to target them, then she would be little more than dead weight. She needed to figure out how to get back the edge in the situation.

"Or you could borrow a spare from me." Tatsuko looked down from the stars, and right at him. He held out a pair of red wire frame shades out to her. "Always carry a spare or two, in case you need 'em."

* * *

The next morning was a very early start. Everyone was expected to meet up for dawn, which meant they had to wake up at 4:00 AM, pack their stuff, have some sort of breakfast and break camp before leaving.

"Well, well, a mini Aoba-_sensei_." Kiba teased when he saw the new accessory on Tatsuko's face.

"Ehhh, I didn't even see them!" Yuuna complained, after yawning and rubbing some of the sleep from her eyes.

"Aoba-_sensei _thinks that it will help me use my _jutsu _while not showing it to anyone, but I won't be able to test that until after sunrise - and the colour is going to throw my accuracy for a while; which is why I want to start using it from now." Tatsuko tried to explain, but it all came out too fast for anyone to really follow properly.

"Hey, that might work. Not a bad plan." Kiba replied, smiling. He might have been lying through his teeth, but that cocky smile - the one that always made Tatsuko nervous around him - made sure she didn't care.

"Well, we will be walking to the rendezvous site, to give her enough time to adjust to them. Are you sure that you can use the _jutsu _that long?" Aoba asked cautiously.

"_Hai_, it doesn't put much strain on my _chakra,_ but I never got the chance to use it for long periods of time. If I start to get tired, I can always just take a little rest." Tatsuko was exited about being able to use more of her skills, without giving herself completely away.

'_How can she say all of that without pausing to breathe?_' So without any hesitation, she made the Dragon seal.

"_Hyouhiryugan!_"

The familiar reds and blues came in view. She could see the the wind blowing gently, and the river behind her. The air had a slight chill to it, because of the early hour - she could see that too. Then there was also...

"_Sugoi_..." Tatsuko breathed, seeing the sound waves map out the whole area for her. She could see every tree, every branch, every leaf for almost fifty metres in every direction. She could see the birds sleeping soundly in their nests, rats and rabbits in their holes underground, even a few snakes hanging lazily in a tree.

"I can even see your heartbeats now... and practically everything else around us too. I've never been able to look around so freely." That last was said so soft that it was hard to make out. "_Arigato gosaimasu, Aoba-sensei_." He smiled at her and nodded.

"We should be able to pick up the pace nicely now, since you can see better than any of us in the dark. Warn me if you see anything, or if you need to rest a bit. We are only a half a kilometre from the rendezvous-site, so we should be there pretty quickly. All right, let's head out!"

**End Chapter 5**

* * *

**A/N: As always, lots of love going out to Kiravu! Both of us have been busy with Christmas, so please forgive us both :P**

**And for those of you who think I am overpowering my characters... umm, you might be right. Kiravu keeps telling me that too, but trust me, it will balance out.**

**Coming up next time: Ninja-tag, you're it!**

_Hyouhiryugan - Ice Dragon Eyes._

_Kokorogan - Mind's Eye.  
_

_Doujutsu - A type of jutsu that affects the eyes of the user. Think of the Byakygan or the Sharingan._


	6. Arc1: Ninja tag, you are it!

_****__**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc**_

_****___I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P

_**A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect our favourite blond dobe?**_

_**All **__**underlined**____**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood in front of the tent that had just been erected for him. On it's front flaps were the _kanji _for Fire and Shadow. There was no doubt what so ever that there would be comfortable seating within the tent. Along wit a table, on which would sit his late wife's tea pot, filled with his favourite tea. Even though he was a warrior at heart, he had to admit that he liked the little comforts whenever he could get them.

His eyes perused the little camp they had made for the day. Though it was a temporary camp, even though it was situated well within the outer walls, and thus secure. Even though he could _shunshin _to his office and be there in under a minute, his ANBU guards refused to let him go without his battle tent, a Medic tent for the students and a large tarpaulin covered area where they could eat without worrying about the weather.

As it was, they were expecting it to rain later on in the day. '_That is the reason we planned on having the games today, isn't it? I wonder how this will affect the children? Will it wither the Will of Fire that I so hope to see burning within them?_'

The Hokage felt five _chakra _signals moving closer to the camp at fairly moderate speed, which sadly broke him out of his reverie. He half expected it would be his personal ANBU team coming to inform him of the progress of the students over the last few days. So, imagine his surprise when it turned out to be Team Aoba!

The sun was about a half hour from rising with the moon completely hidden behind the clouds, so it was especially dark just then. However, the way the group was moving made it clear it didn't affect them in the least. Though the value of that seemed to drop somewhat when the he noticed they were simply racing through a clearing free from obstacles.

'_Still, that kind of speed is incredible for academy students; easily genin class... and did Aoba adopt one of them? Those are definitely his shades._' The ageing _shinobi _peered a little closer, wondering what new surprises the Yamashiro boy would bring him this time.

"Well, well, Aoba - it looks like your artistic flair has inspired the younger generation." The _Sandaime Hokage_ laughed as Team Aoba arrived, fifteen minutes before the scheduled arrival time.

"What can I say, _Hokage-sama_. I'm a trendsetter." Aoba smiled proudly. Akamaru barked at the _chuunin _a few times and panted, obviously a bit worn out.

"He said that you only inspired her to push us harder than normal to get here. I ain't disagreeing with him this time. Jeez, I didn't even know that you could move that fast. Or that _**I**_ could move that fast." Kiba himself was a bit out of breath, as was Yuuna.

"Yeah, _Nee-chan_, I thought only Hi-_chan _knew how to push me THAT hard." Yuuna complained in her whining voice, though only just loud enough for those closest to her to hear.

"Now, now, there is nothing wrong with a little enthusiasm in the morning." Aoba defended her, smiling at the look on their faces.

"I'll remember that AFTER the sun comes up. Until then, it is still NIGHT TIME... as in TIME TO SLEEP!" Akamaru barked and growled at him, causing Kiba - who was the only one who understood a word (or bark) of it - to laugh.

"What's he so worked up about?" Aoba asked, completely unaware.

"I'm sorry, Akamaru. You must be tired after all that running. Would you like some water?" Tatsuko placated the puppy, taking out a canteen and a bowl to accommodate him. "We can't have our sweet little Akamaru getting tired before we even begin." Akamaru barked happily and drank every drop she poured out for him. Then barked twice at Kiba again.

"He said thanks." Kiba said, with a slight blush on his face. Because of the early morning, no one noticed, but Tatsuko saw his cheeks grow five tints redder...

"What did you really tell him, Akamaru? I know he is holding something back. But we won't tell him, it'll be our little secret, okay?" She spoke like any eleven year old girl would talk to a cute puppy: like it was a baby. Not just any baby, nooo, like it was HER baby. She then lovingly rubbed his ears and kissed him on his nose.

Akamaru barked once, paused for a moment, then barked again. Then he growled softly and tilted his head to one side. Tatsuko saw every movement in 3D, though she had no idea what it meant... Kiba's deepening blush gave her a clue.

"I think you're cute too, Akamaru." With that, Kiba was no long blushing. No, this graduated into a totally different category now. Tatsuko could see that his ears were glowing like they were on fire and he found a very interesting spot on the ground to his left to stare at. '_You're so cute when you're like that._' She thought to herself.

"Well, we should be expecting the others shortly; and Tatsuko-_chan_?" The Hokage called to her.

"Yes, _Hokage-sama_?" She asked curiously.

"It's good to see that you are finally letting your guard down with someone. Even if it is only a little." He smiled at her warmly. "Aoba, I'm sure that you will be keeping an eye on her from now on. So let me know if there is something you need for her training." Aoba nodded and smiled, thinking how observant the old man still was.

"Why do you suddenly care?" Tatsuko asked in complete disbelief that he was being even vaguely altruistic. Her voice was kept coldly neutral, like she spoke to a complete stranger, or worse.

"Tatsuko, mind your manners. There is more to _Hokage-sama_ than someone of your age could possibly understand." Aoba warned her. The Hokage took a few steps away, his eyes closed.

"I promised someone dear to me."

* * *

"_Hokage-sama_, everyone has arrived." Iruka announced. Everyone was lined up perfectly, and all present were deathly silent.

Except of course Shikamaru, who was yawning. Or Choji's stomach, which growled in silent witness to its desire to open a bag of chips. Or Akamaru that was complaining about something, it seemed. Or Naruto, who groped about being stuck with Sasuke-_teme_. Let's not forget Sasuke, who was groaning about being complained about again.

Okay, so it wasn't deathly silent, but then, to Tatsuko, nothing was silent any more. Thanks to the shades she was wearing, she could keep her _doujutsu_ activated and no one would ever notice.

"Hey, Tatsuko, cool shades. Didn't know the sun was getting in your eyes." Shikamaru told her, now noticing the shades for the first time. As usual, he spoke like he was complaining.

"Thanks, it helps with this cool trick I picked up." Tatsuko said, trying to sound completely neutral, but sweat dropped from her brow anyways.

"Like what? Keeping the sun outta your eyes?"

"You're not much of a morning person. Are you, Shikamaru?" Tatsuko stated more than asked.

"Not really... _Mendoukusei_." Tatsuko giggled a bit at that. "... and now I'm being laughed at, too. Could this get any worse?"

"Good morning students." Iruka-_sensei _began. "I will explain the rules to the first round of ninja-tag. As you know, this is a zero-contact game, but there are a few extra details you need to pay attention to. For starters is your team's season. After your season is appointed to you, you must then proceed to that season's territory. Which is marked on the maps that I will hand out in a moment.

"Now, the goal of round one is to target the previous season. So if you are the summer team, your target is the spring team, and the winter team's target is the autumn team. You will all be given three _'suwaru'_ tags and sticky string at the beginning of the round, which is the only thing you are allowed to use to tag your targets. Any other contact with participants not on your team will disqualify you from the round and if so decided, from the rest of the day as well. Whether that is a twig that was thrown to distract them, or even a slight touch.

_"Hokage-sama_ himself will be keeping the scores and will make any and all decisions. So this shall be considered an official test of skills. Now the function of each territory is twofold. It is your home base, where your _chuunin_ leader will remain at all times. It is also a way of knowing where to hunt.

"Now as for the function of the _chuunin_. They are the core strategists. All plans must be discussed with and approved by the _chuunin_. At the beginning of every round, there will be a thirty minute truce in play, to allow each team some time to develop a strategy. Once the allotted time has passed, a gong will toll and you may commence your strategy.

"Now, the most important part: point tallying. Each target you hit is worth five points. Should you tag all three students on a team, you get a bonus five points. But if you should tag the _chuunin_, you automatically get twenty-five points, along with all other points for that round. Again, there are only three tags, use them wisely. The only way to avoid being tagged out, is to dodge. Should you successfully dodge a tag attempt, you are allowed to claim that tag to be your own. You get one point for each successful dodge.

"All rules, tags, string and the map are in this pouch, which I will hand the _chuunin_ in charge of the teams. Once you receive it, you may check your maps and leave. You may leave anything you wish here, other than one of your teammates." Iruka's train of thought was interrupted with Naruto's _'__kuso__'_...

"Team Raidou: Spring."

"Team Izumo: Winter."

"Team Kotetsu: Autumn."

"Team Aoba: Summer."

* * *

**~ In Summer's camp, Team Aoba was discussing their strategy ~**

"We've got a major problem. We've got _bushoumono _for a target, and two super competitive girls nipping at our heels. What the heck're we gonna do 'bout it?" Kiba complained the second they began their strategy meeting.

"Well, we need bait to get their tags, then we need to tag Raidou's team one by one." Aoba explained simply.

"Bait?" Kiba asked incredulously.

"I think I know where you're going with this, Aoba-_sensei_. I'll be the bait. Ino and Sakura will be beside themselves trying to tag me, and Shino will not trust either of them to let them go off by themselves." Tatsuko offered.

"Are you offering to show you skills, _Nee-chan_?" Yuuna asked uncertainly.

"They won't see much, all I need to do is act like I am preoccupied and they will strike, then Shino will spot an opening when I go to pick up the tags. I dodge the third strike, then collect that tag and come back here for us to make a better strategy for dealing with Shikamaru."

"Sounds good to me, but can you handle three of them alone?" Aoba asked, trying to figure her out a bit. He knew that she was good, two full days training her showed him that. He was, however, not used to seeing her confident side.

"Worst case scenario, they get five points and lose the other two tags. At least we can still win them out by going for ten points. If they get me, I will whistle to warn you all, if not, I will meet you all here. Make sure to hide just in case."

"But what if they come here disguised as you?" Yuuna asked worriedly.

"Ask me to take my shades off. If it really is me, I'll say that pigs will sooner fly." Tatsuko offered.

"Fine, but one last thing: the safe word." Aoba reminded her.

"Right, I doubt I'll need it, but best to be safe."

"Frog."

"Ribbit? Frog? Where? Get it off me! They're so gross! Why me?" Yuuna complained, flailing her arms to hit the frog off of her.

"Not a frog, the word 'frog'. That is the safe word." Aoba corrected.

"What's a safe word?" Yuuna asked confused.

"If I am worried about getting tagged and know that the enemy is close by, I can use the safe word to get a five minute immunity, and force them to flee." Tatsuko reminded her. "Iruka-_sensei _explained this like three days ago, silly."

"Ohh yeah, I guess I didn't think we would use it, so I just forgot about it."

"Probably, you are usually good at remembering stuff like that, when you want to." Tatsuko rubbed her head and jump out of the tree, leaving a slightly miffed Yuuna behind.

"N_eee-chaaaan!_ You really need to stop ruffling my hair like thaaaaaaaat!" Yuuna whined at the departing silhouette, then pouted and crossed her arms trying to appear vexed. Too bad she added: "I didn't even bring my special brush to fix it."

* * *

**~ In Spring's camp, Team Raidou were lazing around ~**

"Great, we have Sasuke and Hikaru as targets, and we have Tatsuko and Kiba as executioners. What do you think Shikamaru, are we screwed?" Choji asked his friend worriedly, with his hand fishing around in a bag for fresh chips to munch on.

"Possibly. Especially since Tatsuko will know how to get all three tags from Ino's team." Shimakaru summarized.

"Wouldn't it be better to try to go after our target before we get tagged then? I mean, at least we fulfilled our mission that way." Hinata suggested in a small voice.

"Nope, that would actually be worse, because then we would be focussing on the attack and leave ourselves wide open to them. To make matters worse, they might decide to try and tag Raidou-_sensei _then too. That gives them even more points. No, our best bet is to wait for them to come to us and get their tags. The trouble is that our only viable defence is dodging, which is why we need you to warn us when they are getting close, Hinata." Shikamru explained.

"Wow, that might just be the longest I have ever heard you talk, _bushoumono_." Raidou teased him. "But you may well be right, that is likely our best way out. Even though it kinda plays into your mentality and will be predictable."

"I thought of that too, but the problem is that no matter what else we try, we will only make ourselves more vulnerable."

Raidou laughed at the clueless looks on Hinata and Chouji's faces. He knew what the boy was getting at, but it was obvious that the others didn't. "You might want to explain that a little better to your team." He took out the map Iruka had given him and offered it to the now sighing boy.

"_Mendoukusei_. This is what I get for opening my mouth. You two come here, 'cause I don't feel like explaining it twice." Shikamaru took the map and rolled it out, putting a few stones in the corners to keep it as flat as possible. His team crowds around him to see what their lazy team mate wants to explain.

"We're team Spring." He points to the Northern circle where they are currently located. '_Which is obvious, since Iruka-sensei pointed that out... and I'm pointing at the kanji for Sping. Mendoukusei._'

"So we have to go after our target, team Winter," He points to the Eastern circle, where Sasuke and his team are located.

"...but they won't be in their territory. Simply because they need to go after their target, team Autumn." Here he points to the Western circle.

"So we'd have to look in Ino's terrirtory, but they will be chasing their own target, team Summer." He points to the Southern circle where Kiba and Tatsuko would be.

"For those of you paying attention, that is the exact group that is gunning for us. This is the first round, so no one will likely have a solid plan other than 'get the enemy', so there will be no point in acting stupid and troublesome by falling in with the crowd. Or jumping into a battle royal that has nothing to do with us." Shikamaru ended his explanation by rolling back up the map, handing it to Raidou... and muttering: "_Mendoukusei_."

"Another good point. Jeez... you'd be a kick ass strategist, if you weren't so lazy." Raidou pointed out. "Hey Chouji, you got any more chips?"

* * *

**~ Over in the Eastern 'circle' Team Izumo was, well... not much of a team ~**

"Just gimme my tag, and point me in the right direction. I'm going straight for their leader, cause he's worth the most points!" Naruto declared.

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Uzumaki. Hey Uchiwa, why don't we give him our tags too?." Hikaru replied sarcastically. Somehow his sarcasm was always wasted on these two.

"What, so the _dobe_ can throw away his life AND our tags?" Sasuke complained. "If he wants to waste so much, at least let him do so as a distraction so that we can tag our targets."

"**_TEME_**! I'm going to be _Hokage _someday, so you better stop disrespecting me!" Naruto bellowed.

'_Why didn't I pack pain killers?_' Izumo complained to himself, rubbing his temples in slow, soothing circles.

* * *

**~ And in the remaining team's camp? ~**

"If you think you have any chance of tagging Tatsuko before I do, you're dead wrong, billboard brow!" Ino shouted defiantly.

"When pigs fly, Ino-pig. I'm going to tag her at least twice before you can tag her once." Sakura declared.

"Not if **I** have two tags." With that, Ino grabbed Shino's tag right out of his hand.

'_This is why I refused to get married!_' Kotetsu complained.

Shino said nothing, he just sat down and played with his bugs.

* * *

**~ In the Hokage's tent, Hiruzen was focussing on his Telescope jutsu, with Iruka and six ANBU watching raptly ~**

"Just like I suspected, only two teams made any strategy at all." Iruka groused slightly. He was glad that he knew his students that well, but was still irked that it was only two teams.

"Well, it seems that Tatsuko has finally come out of her shell." _Sandaime_ said in a happy tone.

"I agree with you, _Hokage-sama_, but aren't you being a bit biased? I mean, Shikamaru is the one that is showing the most improvement. Normally he just complains about what he has to do and does a bad job at it." Iruka explained.

"True, but the apple seldom falls far from the tree." The smirk on the Hokage's face was almost too much for the ANBU nearby. They all had to fight to suppress their laughter.

"Nara Shikaku was that lazy too?" Iruka sounded surprised.

"What do you mean _was_? If it wasn't for his wife pushing him, I doubt he would have gone any further than _chuunin_, at best." The Hokage smiled, wondering how Iruka could miss their presence, when they were too busy trying to stifle yet another cackle-fit! "To the subject at hand. Who do you think will complete their task in this round?"

"Honestly, only Aoba-_senpai_'s team and Raidou-_senpai_'s team are showing any kind of team effort. So they are most likely. The fact that Shikamaru is Tatsuko's target, makes it that much easier for Team Aoba to win this round." Iruka thought out loud.

"So who will be more interesting to follow for now then?" Sandaime asked impishly.

"Honestly, Tatsuko-_chan_. She will likely be the target of the first round of senseless violence." Iruka deduced with a deep sigh. The Hokage just laughed as he focused on the crystal ball for Tatsuko to come back in view. She was seen walking, almost like she was in the park. No concern on her face what so ever. She barely seemed to pay attention to anything at all.

"Well, I've never seen her so aloof." Iruka sweatdropped. "Do you think she is underestimating her opponents?"

"We will see very soon. Iruka, the gong."

* * *

Once the gong was heard Ino and Sakura ran straight for Tatsuko's territory. Leaving a boy and his bugs behind.

'_We'll see who wins this time, Ino-pig! **Shannero**!_' Inner Sakura punched through a wall.

* * *

After hearing the gong, Naruto ran straight for Sakura-_chan_!  
"Hey _dobe_, they won't be there. They will head straight for Kiba's turf." Sasuke explained.  
"Tch, I told you I'm going for their leader!" Naruto shouted defiantly.  
"Fine, then I'll tag Sakura myself." Sasuke pushed his buttons, knowing the reaction he would get.  
"_**TEME**_! I'll tag her WAY before you even see her!"

* * *

"Sure is noisy around here." Choji said, between bites.  
"Hinata, every three minutes or so, I want you to scan the area. Don't overdo it, becuase then we'll just end up worse than we started. Focus most of your attention in that direction." Shikamaru explained carefully, pointing in the direction of where Team Aoba's territory was. He knew that Hinata admired Naruto's 'do or die' attitude, but he wouldn't have that on his team.  
"Understood." She focused for a moment. "_Byakugan_!"

* * *

"Hey Aoba-_sensei_. What are we going to do when Tatsuko gets back?" Kiba asked, feeling a bit bored.  
"Well, depending on whether or not she completes her task as well as she seems to think she can." Aoba said, not entirely as confident as she was.  
"If she says she's going to come back with the tags, she will come back with the tags." Yuuna said firmly. Aoba saw the complete faith she had in her sister.  
"You're right, Yuuna-_chan_. Well, once she gets back what we could do is..."

* * *

'_Well they really are taking their time to get here. Jeez if I make my position any more obvious a toddler would know it was a trap. But then again, knowing those two when they get worked up..._' Tatsuko moved from the dense undergrowth to a long path between two rows of trees, she was humming the entire time.

* * *

"How do you manage to put up with those two girls?" Kotetsu asked the still silent Shino.  
"By ignoring them for the most part." Came the obvious answer.  
"Good point. Hey do they do any tricks?" He asked, motioning at the bugs. Shino smiled his creepy smile, assuring his _sensei _that he was in for a show.

* * *

"Jeez, took them long enough." Tatsuko thought to herself. She kept humming, happily, keeping perfect tract of their location. "And look, they brought some friends."

* * *

"Anything yet Hinata?" Shikamaru asked. He was playing a few possibilities through his head, but he made sure to remind the girl to check around when the time came.  
"_Byakugan_!" A few moments of silence ensued. "They are all four hundred metres that way." She pointed to the South-East, where their opponents were gathering.  
"So the battle royal is about to begin... Glad I'm not in it." Shikamaru said in his half whining voice, as always.  
"No, wait. There is only Sakura, Ino, Sasuke, Hikaru, Naruto... Five. Tatsuko seems to have moved on already."  
"Which way is she heading?" Shikamaru knew that the the girl was good, but this was ridiculous.  
"Back to where Yuuna and Kiba are hiding."  
"Did she get the extra tags?" Sweat was starting to drip down the side of his face; he was really starting to worry.  
"..."

* * *

Tatsuko jumped into the tree where she was supposed to meet her comrades. "Hi honey, I'm home!" She called out playfully.  
"Ohh really? Then why not take off your shoes?" Yuuna threw her voice so Tatsuko couldn't guess where it was coming from.  
"Yuuna, stop playing around the question was supposed to be about my shades, silly." Tatsuko was really starting to worry about that girl.  
"Ohh, that's true." Yuuna jumped into view rubbing her head a bit embarrassed.  
"Anyways, who loves me?" Tatsuko asked rhetorically, holding six tags up for inspection.

* * *

"Ummm, what just happened here?" Ino asked, clueless.  
"I... I don't know." Sakura was no better off.  
"We've been had. Thanks _dobe_." Sasuke pinned it on Naruto as usual.  
"**_TEME_**!"

* * *

"All six tags? She managed to swipe all six tags?" Shikamaru was sweating profusely now. "I always thought she was as lazy as me... then how could she..." Shikamaru thought back to to their exchange earlier.

/_"Hey, Tatsuko, cool shades. Didn't know the sun was getting in your eyes." Shikamaru told her, now noticing the shades for the first time. And as usual, he spoke like he was complaining.  
__"Thanks, it helps with this cool trick I picked up." Tatsuko said, trying to sound completely neutral, but sweat dropped from her brow anyways.  
__"Like what? Keeping the sun outta your eyes?"_/

"Hinata, can you see what's behind her shades?" Shikamaru asked.  
"Behind her shades? I think so, why?" Hinata asked a bit thrown by the odd idea.  
"I dunno why, but this sudden burst of guts on her part is influenced by something, and it has something to do with those shades." Shikamaru explained.  
"Okay... I'll try..." Hinata focused as best she could, trying to see everything... But she had watched the entire exchange when Tatsuko was supposedly attacked, and was beginning to tire from the prolonged use. She just couldn't focus hard enough. "I'm sorry, I just need to take a little break." She said meekly, sitting down to catch herself.

* * *

"Well, that was interesting." Iruka said, not entirely sure if he really saw what he saw.  
"Still think that Shikamaru is showing the most improvement?" Sandaime asked him.  
"Well..."

**End chapter 6**

* * *

**A/N: Kiravu, I love you more and more with each chapter!**

**Even though this chapter is a bit on the short side, I like it. I especially like the changes Kiravu suggested! Shikamaru's strategy is actually better worked out because of her, and I really feel that it comes across more cannon this way.**

**Just a side note, do you guys hate Sasuke, or do you just not feel like interacting with the writer? Jeez, I give you guys some leeway and you just trudge on like the emo himself! Oh well, no votes in the pole, means I can have my own fun with it. If you don't like it that way, then you are not going to have the right to complain. There are about another four chapters in this Arc, after that, the voting will be closed and the next Arc will begin.**

Kuso - Shit, crap. Knowing Naruto, he could mean it either way, but I'm guessing it usually gets translated to 'crap'.

**"Yare yare. You know that I will not be in this for a while, Fayth-_san_, so why are you asking me to say something to your readers?"**


	7. Arc1: The Deer and the Dragon

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc**_

_**A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect our favourite blond dobe?**_

_**All underlined terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

_**

* * *

**_

"So are we all set?" Aoba asked, after going over the plan for the third time. He wanted to be perfectly sure that everyone knew what they had to do.  
"_Hai_!" Came three enthusiastic replies.  
"All right, I am counting on you. Move out!"  
"Understood." Came the uniform reply three students strong.  
"Arf!" Akamaru added, his ears at attention as he snuggled into a comfortable position in his master's jacket. Only his head was still visible now, allowing his nose full access to all scents that in the area.  
With that the three academy students and one dog disappeared.

"Yukikami, you are the only one here that knows anything about that girl. What just happened?" Sasuke asked his team mate, as they were on their way back to their base.  
"Well," Hikaru began, pretending to think for a moment. "I can't really be sure what happened, but I think she just raped you and took your place as the class's top dog?"

"Hn." The emo deadpanned.

"Is that a happy grunt? Sasume, the gay-dar seems to be going nuts!" Hikaru poked fun at the boy, his swollen lips curling into an almost unnaturally large smile.  
"You're saying she was capable of that the whole time, but never showed it? What a waste!" Naruto complained.  
"Take it any way you want to." Hikaru said coldly, but the smile never died.  
'_That means that there is more to those three than anyone thinks. I'll have to remember that._' Sasuke made a mental note, and swore to never forget the embarrassment he had just endured.

* * *

** ~In Team Raidou's camp, things were taking a slight twist~**

"Any luck this time, Hinata?" Shikamaru asked, as she released her _doujutsu_.  
"I looked, but there was simply nothing there out of the ordinary." Hinata answered softly.  
"Well, it was worth a shot. Maybe she was just always gun shy, and the shades boost her self image." Chouji offered.

/

_"I've got her now!" Ino charged defiantly, dashing through the clearing like a bat out of hell. She was obviously determined to outdo her team mate, but would it work?_

_Almost as one, Sakura and Ino threw their tags at Tatsuko. They were at least smart enough to attack from behind, but beyond that, they were being almost stupidly rash... at least from the target's perspective. _

_Three tags tore through the air towards their target, who seemed to not care at all. Even the shouting didn't get her attention!_

_Just then, three boys showed up, throwing their own tags at Ino and Sakura. Ino, being the better of the two, was double targeted just in case._

_In the middle of all the commotion - well, to civilian's standards anyway - Tatsuko was an oasis of calm. With three tags less than a metre from her being, she seemed to still take no heed of them. Until..._

_With a grace that would make a prima ballerina green with envy, the Senju pirouetted. Yes, pirouetted. She didn't jump out of the way, she didn't duck, she didn't do some flashy - albeit basic - jutsu taught at the academy or in her clan. She pirouetted. _

_She put all her weight on her left big toe, then used her arms to build up inertia which she channelled into a spinning motion, placed her toes of her right foot to the back of her left knee and spun around in a circle, twice. Irritatingly, her hands, arms, elbows and shoulders were all perfectly aligned to make a perfect circle in front of her, while her focus was kept on a singular point in front of her - which was obvious since her nose pointed to that one point as long as possible before spinning around quickly only to point at exactly the same point. That's it. The three tags simply flew past her while she was doing this, sticking to a tree some distance ahead._

_Ino and Sakura were so shocked that they didn't even notice the tags flying at them. This, somehow didn't create a problem either, since a set of twigs were thrown to intercept them. All the two girls sensed - but still went mostly unnoticed since they were still mesmerized by their classmate's undeniable grace - were three twigs falling to the ground._

_Using their shock to her advantage, Tatsuko simply ran up to the girls, grabbed the tags and ran off to collect the other three. Then hightailed it back to her camp._

/

"No, that's not it. If Hinata saw that so called fight, which I have no possible reason to doubt, then there is something similar to Hinata's Byakugan that is boosting Tatsuko's ability to see. The shades are simply there to cover it up. There is no other explanation, even though it doesn't explain how she suddenly found it, or where the speed boost came from." Shikamaru thought out loud.  
"Yeah, but what is so significant about what Hinata saw anyways?" Chouji asked munching on a few more chips than usual.  
"It's more about what she didn't see, Chouji." Raidou pointed out.  
"What I didn't see?" Hinata asked a bit taken back.  
"As far as we know, Tatsuko doesn't have any magical abilities. Yet she was able to sense the first three tags with her back turned, do a masterful dance move that only ballerinas ever take the time to master. Then, while spinning, she threw three twigs to make sure the tags didn't stick to their targets. The only thing Hinata actually saw was the pirouette. That means that either the _Byakugan_couldn't pick up those little motions at that distance, or Tatsuko did them so fast that Hinata's eyes couldn't keep up." Raidou explained. The sole Byakugan user in the group couldn't disagree with either point, she had mentioned a while ago that she couldn't see as clearly due to the distance, but she could make out the 'colour patterns' in each person she saw.

"To make matters worse, they now have a total of nine tags, and two of the three coming here we know little to nothing about."  
"If Tatsuko is any example of what we can expect, then Hikaru and Yuuna must have some pretty awesome techniques hidden away for a rainy day. Just our luck, we have a 24 hour drizzle on our hands. _Mendoukusei_." Shikamaru complained, looking up at the clouds.

* * *

**~With the members of Team Aoba~**

"We're getting close. All right, everyone knows what to do, right?" Kiba asked rhetorically.  
"Hai!" Came two bubbly replies.

"They are less than eighteen hundred meters away now, and closing fast." Hinata announced, sweat now building up on her forehead. Raidou was the only one to notice that she was slowly wearing herself down, trying to keep an eye on their soon to be assailants.  
"How much time?" Raidou asked.  
"Five minutes, maybe less."  
'_So that's why they were there first this morning. That's about six metres a second, twice as fast as the average civilian. Their speed is top notch, especially for academy students._' Raidou thought to himself.  
"Well, there isn't a whole lot we can do. We thoroughly underestimated them so far, but this is the best course of action we could have taken thus far. Look, everyone they are going to try to tag all of us, that is why they wanted all the tags. Now this is zero-contact and non-lethal, so don't feel too bad if you get tagged, okay?" Raidou noticed the understanding, but unhappy, nods his charges replied with. "Having said that, don't go down without a fight. Even though we're not allowed to tag them, we won't be caught with our pants down... now listen closely."

* * *

**~Not far away, three predators came to an abrupt stop.~**

"Heads up, they know we're coming." Tatsuko quietly announced. They were about twenty metres away now, just far enough to remain undetected, but close enough for Tatsuko to see their every movement.  
"How could they know that? I thought you were the only one with the _Yukiryuugan_." Yuuna was confused. The Senju just stared at the redhead...

'_That's my imouto-chan for you. Stubborn as a ram goat!_' She sighed heavily.'_Three years later and she still calls it whatever she wants!_' Tatsuko took a few deep breaths, trying to not to lose her composure. All the while pointedly ignoring the unasked question is Kiba's eyes.  
"I am, but they know we are coming. They are all looking directly at us right now." Tatsuko looked closer at Hinata. There was something strange about her eyes, but she couldn't place it. She just somehow felt like she was staring right into her very soul... maybe even through it. Like she could see all her secrets.  
"Hinata has something similar, but different." Kiba told them.  
"How can it be similar and different at the same time?" Yuuna was not sure how to completely opposite words could explain something that shouldn't exist.  
"Well, Hinata and me go way back. Her father and my mom were _genin_together, just like Hana-_neesan_ and Aoba-_sensei_. So I kinda grew up with her. Her family has this all seeing eye thing... the _Byakugan_. It's awesome." Yuuna stared at him intently, and Kiba was certain that Tatsuko was staring at him too (hard to tell when you can't see the person's eyes).  
"... and you wait until now to tell us this?" Yuuna asked, but Kiba knew that Tatsuko was thinking it too. He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.  
"It didn't occur to me that Shikamaru would figure out how to use it to his advantage. Hinata's never been one to brag, or do much of anything on her own. 'sides, I didn't even know she figured out how to use it." That last part came more as an afterthought, but it did make sense. If she never boasted, then she would likely only use it during training. Well, if Raidou and Aoba-_sensei_were anything alike, she did a whole lot of it the last few days.  
'_Great... now what? We have a good plan, but we didn't calculate for the Byakugan. We were expecting to have the element of surprise._' Tatsuko sat down, trying to figure out what their best defence would be in the situation...

In times like these, the Senju truly hated not being allowed to take 'Clans of Konoha' at the academy. It would have really given her a lot more inside knowledge about her classmates for situations like this.

"We're up against one of the sharpest minds I know, but we have the advantage. I already figured out what he is planning on doing... so listen close and make sure you know the possibilities."

* * *

**~Meanwhile~**

"What is taking them so long? We can't have Hinata overusing her _Byakugan_, otherwise she will be little more than a sitting duck. They have a plan, a good one, but what? Nine tags, three people, a similar ability to see into the unseen. They already have knowledge of Hinata's _Byakugan_, while we have no knowledge of her skills. Then there is the wild card, Yuuna. No one knows anything about her skills. Think Shikamaru, think." Shikamaru dropped to one knee, and made an odd looking seal with his hands.  
"What's he doing? We don't have time for a nap." Raidou felt a few beads of sweat on his brow.  
"He's planning something." Chouji explained, completely unfazed and munching quietly on some chips.  
"But we already went through the plan. They could be here any second."  
"That's the problem, they figured out our plan. Otherwise they wouldn't be there cooking up something new for us. We made our plans based on their lack of knowledge of Hinata's abilities. But they figured it out, and are now rethinking their attack."  
"Maybe, but they would have to get Aoba-_kun_'s approval before trying anything new, that's in the rules. We still have the advantage." Raidou pointed out.  
"Yuuna is withdrawing, she is heading back in the direction they came from." Hinata announced.  
"What?" Raidou was completely caught off guard now. "Are you psychic or something, kid?"  
"Not even close, but I know that Tatsuko has one of the sharpest minds I know. I just always figured her to be smart and lazy like me. Why'd we have to be her prey? _Mendoukusei_..."  
"So what's our plan, Shikamaru?" Chouji asked offering him a go at his bag of 'sweet and sour pork' chips.

* * *

"Sorry I took so long, Aoba-_sensei _wanted to hear every detail of the plan before he approved." Yuuna blushed a bit.  
"Better safe than sorry, besides, I'm sure that Hinata is getting tired from using her _Byakugan_ by now." Tatsuko soothed. "If you'd come five minutes sooner, you would just have to wait five minutes longer with us."  
"Well, Tatsuko-_chan_, we're ready to move on your signal." Kiba smiled, knowing that the action would start soon. Akamaru barked softly, agreeing completely.

* * *

"Hinata, are you all right? You're starting to look a bit worn out." Raidou was getting worried about the girl, she was sweating profusely now, and was starting to turn pale from low chakra levels.  
"Well, I guess that is their cue then. Hinata, rest. You did everything you could and more." Shikamaru told her. After hearing that, she promptly lost consciousness. Luckily Raidou caught her before she fell and hurt herself.  
'_I'll keep her on my back, that way she won't get tagged as easily._' Raidou thought to himself. "You three are simply amazing."

* * *

"All right, move out." Tatsuko announced.

Four bodies moved towards their targets, slowly. Now that the all seeing _Byakugan_was taking a nap, they could take their time. Kiba and Akamaru moved to the South, Yuuna moved around to the East, and Tatsuko moved to the north. All participants waited for the signal.

* * *

"Well, two strategists pinned against each other. Shikamaru is at a major disadvantage, and his early warning system is fast asleep. This could become very interesting how he handles this." The _Hokage_summarized. "Who do you think will win this round now, Iruka?"  
"To be honest, everything is in Team Aoba's favour. Thank goodness this is all zero-contact."

* * *

"What are they even waiting for?" Chouji asked impatiently. "It's not like we can even tell where they are or where they are coming from."  
"Exactly. With Hinata asleep, they can move about as they wish. They know we're here with one man down, and we have little to stop them with. We aren't even allowed to counter attack. But the plan we got is the best we can hope for." Shikamaru explained.  
"What about the safe word? Why not use that? It'll at least buy us some time for Hinata to rest. Then we can at least try to tag our targets before getting blown out of the water." Chouji was really not in the mood to lose the first round.  
"Maybe, but then how would we get them? ... and with the safe word we get five minutes. No, that would be pointless. Our only chance is to face this head on." Raidou was in full agreement with Shikamaru on this one. This was the only way they had now.  
"Besides, who said we were losing. Even if we all get tagged, if we dodge so much as one tag each, we are in second place. Remember, they have all the other tags. So no one else is getting any points this time around." Choji smiled at that.

* * *

'_All right, everyone has had more than enough time to set up. Time to rock and roll!_' Tatsuko thought. She put her fingers in her mouth and whistled in as high a pitch as she could. She knew that Akamaru would pick it up, and Yuuna's signal was their first move anyway. Tatsuko dashed forward, knowing that Kiba would counter balance her attacks.

Akamaru barked a few times, then jumped on Kiba's head.  
"The signal, let's go, Akamaru." Kiba said, dashing off into the dense brush ahead of him.

* * *

"What was that?" Chouji asked. He didn't hear something, so much as he felt it. The birds that suddenly took to the sky only accentuated it further.  
"That was their signal. They split up, and are coming in for the kill." Raidou explained. "Get ready, here they come."  
The tension was getting pretty thick now, Chouji and Shikamaru were really starting to feel the pressure.

"Here it comes!" Chouji shouted as the first tag flew right at him, he had sidestepped it rather easily, and twisted his body to make sure it missed him completely.  
"_Mendoukusei_." Shikamaru complained as he saw two flying at him. He had to bend over backwards to dodge both of them, just as he reached the lowest point of his arch, he noticed something bad: those tags were fakes. "Kuso."  
Three more tags flew at Raidou, who easily dodged them, even with Hinata on his back.  
"STRIKE!" They all heard it, but it seemed to come from everywhere and no where at the same time. Suddenly the air was filled with tags, all targeting the three moving bodies. Without even a moment to compose their thoughts, Team Raidou was bombarded with countless tags flying at them.

'_Jeez, I didn't think that Yuuna could pull it off on that level_.' Kiba was simply amazed by the sheer number of tags she produced. '_Ah man, focus Kiba. Tatsuko will give the signal soon._'

Moments later, another whistle came, and four tags flew at the members of Team Raidou. But since they were preoccupied with the limitless tags flying at them from the front, they never noticed.  
Chouji, who was at the far left of the group, felt the first tag hit him. He felt his body tense, then he dropped on his bum without being able to resist. Hinata, was tagged next, since she and Raidou were at the far right, but she was already asleep, so this went unnoticed.  
Raidou got two tags, one on either side of his shoulder, while he was bending backwards to avoid a line of ten tags from in front of him. He quickly fell on his bum after that too. He managed to softly place Hinata on the ground, instead of dropping her like a bag of potatoes.  
That left only Shikamaru. He looked around, in complete shock. "They got them all, only me left."

"That's right Shikamaru. Just you and me now." Tatsuko announced, throwing her voice.  
"I figured you would want to tag me personally." He said loudly, so that she would hear him. He looked around and realised the position his team mates were really in. "Pretty slick moves. You lined us up to maximize the chances of getting one of us."  
"Very good, now try tell me why Raidou-_sensei_has two tags." Came the odd request.  
"My best guess is that you aimed for me and missed." He said.  
"_Ie_. He was supposed to get at least two. We threw four real tags at him, to ensure we got him without fail. Two just happened to hit your other team mates. That's why we had Yuuna line you up so perfectly." Tatsuko explained.  
"So what is your plan for me, especially since you have two tags left." Shikamaru bluffed. He knew they had five, but why tip your hand unnecessarily?  
"Tsk tsk tsk, you think I didn't plan for you? Or for you knowing that we got the other six tags? I do not underestimate my opponents. We have something special cooked up for you." With that three tags flew at Shikamaru from every corner he could see. His only options were to jump, and make himself a drifting target, or duck and keep his momentum on his side... DUH, DUCK!

The three tags collided, their sticky tape causing them to become one big triple tag, their equal momentum cancelling each other out... causing them to free-fall to their target.  
"_KUSO_!" Shikamaru shouted, rolling to his left to avoid the double attack. "She's better than anyone ever gave her credit for, and she seems to know how to work with her team pretty well."  
Then Kiba jumped into view, readying a tag to throw at Shikamaru. Shikamaru knew that this was a diversion, but a diversion for what? Above? He looked up, and saw nothing. He looked behind him, but saw nothing there either. Then the tag was thrown, and a second tag was thrown at twice the speed of the first, both at a bad trajectory. They would both miss without him doing anything. He waited for the trap that would inevitably come...

The two tags collided, and the resulting trajectory was aimed right at Shikamaru, who was too busy looking behind him at the time... The combined tags were closing in fast, but the boy paid them no mind at all...

"Nice try." He said, bending backwards without even looking. "You think I can't calculate the resulting vector of two constants?" He was vaguely annoyed at being underestimated like that.  
He stood up and walked to the tags that were thrown at him. "Five tags, with the four that got the others. That's nine. You lose." He picked up the first three that was supposed to drop on his back, but something caught his eye. Just as he stood up all the way, he looked at the tag trio closer...

"After all that trouble too. _Mendoukusei_." A lone tag stuck to the back of his neck, forcing him to sit.  
"Well, Shikamaru. You did good anyways." Raidou told him. "You hung in longer than me."  
"Yeah, but that was her plan anyways. She wanted to tag me on equal terms. That is why she needed you three tagged out first." Shikamaru explained the man.  
"You know, you'd be a kick ass strategist... if you weren't so lazy."  
"Yeah, yeah."

"Team Aoba, mission accomplished!" Kiba announced happily, with Akamaru howling on his head.

**End Chapter 7**

**

* * *

**

**Yukiryuugan - Yuuna calls it the wrong name, but she does that purposely. Yuki means snow, compared to the Hyou in the original name, that means 'ice'. Ryuu is another word for dragon, compared to the Hiryu which also means dragon. It could be Yuuna's way of saying that she knows what it is and what it means, but still wants to remind Tatsuko of something... maybe.**

**A/N: One big, wet, mushy kiss going out to Kiravu! She once again knocked some sense into me when I needed it :D:D**

**Anyway, The poll for Sasuke's little party puts Tenten and Hana in the lead? Interesting combo. A few of the OCs in the first chapter are close on their heels though! If you want to tip the scales in someone else's favour, now is your chance. There are only three or four more chapters in this Arc, and the final chapter is where the girls will be announced. So cast your votes in the poll on my profile! :D**

**"Listen you, I'll say anything you want so long as you keep the Uchiwa away from me."**


	8. Arc1: Of dragons and nightmares

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc**_

_**A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect our favourite blond dobe?**_

_**All underlined terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~ Tatsuko's POV ~**

You'd think that after being completely owned in a skirmish - having your entire team tagged (while not being allowed to retaliate) to be specific - it would be easy for Team Raidou to simply admit they are defeated... If they were _kunoichi_it would have been; easy I mean.

"You can repeat the question as many times as you want, but the fact remains we had no intel on your team. Therefore we lost to a lack of information, not to you." I truthfully stopped keeping track of which idiot was speaking this time.

"Yeah, yeah, dead is dead, _ne_Akamaru?" *Arf!* "If you were the enemy for real - you'd be ashes!" Kiba retorted in a cocky tone. Why were we even arguing about it? Wait, we? No, they! Well, either way I'm not sure. We had specific orders to follow after tagging our targets: retrieve all tags and leave. I have no idea why, but I don't feel like getting in trouble either.

Yuuna had already gathered the tags that didn't hit anyone, so there were only the tags on the four members of our target and that was it. '_I have to make sure we have all of them, no slip ups. Raidou had two, the three students had one a piece. That's five total. Yuuna collected... three... no four other tags. Okay, that's our original nine._' I took a long moment to think, letting the boys argue a while longer. '_I'm in no mood for surprises, so I'll just 'borrow' their tags too._'

I set about collecting the remaining tags, silently thanking Kiba for keeping them busy. Even if he was being a butt-head to for doing it in the first place. After collecting a grand total of twelve tags, it was time to go. I nodded to Yuuna - who silently handed her tags over to me - before tapping Kiba on his shoulder.

"Why don't we all head over to the Command Centre together?" Raidou offered, smiling amicably.

'_Because we have other orders?_' I looked at him, no maybe I was glaring... Either way I know I had a million conflicting question running through my head. '_This is not part of our plan._'

"Thank you, but Aoba-_sensei _is waiting on our report and I still have to brush Yuuna's hair before we call it a job well done." I answered, hoping Kiba would shut up and just let me do the talking. '_Why would Aoba-sensei order us to return to our little camp, if the Command Centre was closer! It must mean that Raidou is trying to trick us, why else would he be so nice to us for no reason?_'

"I'm sure_ Hokage-sama_ is already sending someone to tell him what happened." Raidou's smile didn't leave his face. It was like it was painted on...

'_So that's the game you wanna play?_' I smiled back. Only my smile was a bit more like a predator. "Kiba, Yuuna, we're leaving." I turned heel and had no intention of saying anything beyond that.

"What's the rush? I still ain't heard none of these sore losers admit we won!" Kiba was once again acting like a butt-head.

"Kiba listen, Yuuna and I are leaving. Either you come now, or we leave you behind." I said coldly.

"Fine, but this convo ain't over!" He turned back to Team Raidou once again. "I will hear both o' you admit we are the better team!" Kiba smirked cockily before coming to join us.

"What's the matter, Kiba? Scared?" I heard Shikamaru taunt my team mate.

'_Is that their__M.O.__?_' I wondered about that for a moment, even as I watched Kiba spout a bunch of crap about whom the bigger man and how men weren't scared of anything... '_Kiba __no baka__!_'

"_GAMA_!" I shouted the freeword, then grabbed Akamaru from Kiba's jacket and jumped into the trees.

* * *

"Tatsuko, wait up! Gimme back my pup!" Kiba shouted angrily, but there was no chance in hell I was stopping until I was back in our camp. I could sense Yuuna keeping up well enough, but I slowed down a little for her sake. Unfortunately, that made Kiba think I was actually listening to him.

"What the heck is your problem! Pup-napping is a crime you know!" He grabbed my left shoulder, trying to make me slow down more.

"MY PROBLEM!" I grabbed his hand at the wrist, with my right hand, squeezing slightly to ensure compliance. Then I jerked him forward, offering all of my momentum to him, and kicked his feet from under him. Luckily for him, we weren't jumping through the trees; otherwise he might not have survived. "My problem didn't almost get us killed. So, you may want to ask the egotistical male on the team that question."

He ended up landing face first in the trunk of a tree.

"If you only followed for Akamaru's sake, then you had best follow all the way back to camp. I have no intention of you leading him to his doom because you have something to prove." I stated coldly and left once again, giving poor Yuuna no time to catch her breath. '_We've got less than three minutes left before the allotted time runs out from using the free word... We already won't make it back to Aoba-sensei, but at least we need to come close!_'

* * *

When we made it back to camp things between Kiba and I were really deteriorating. Which I will take no blame for whatsoever! He was the egocentric butt-head that was letting his own pride get in the way of the mission! I refuse to accept any blame for that!

"Great, we're here! Now gimme back Akamaru!" He barked at me.

"Aoba-_sensei_, we're back. Can you please explain to this idiot why I'm not talking to him?" I ignored the boy completely, while petting Akamaru to keep him where he belonged.

"Okaaaay... first I'd like to know how it went, then I'll hear all about your lovers' quarrel." Aoba teased, but he will not get a rise out of me for it!

Without missing a beat, I jumped right into my explanation. My tone was even, calm and at a tempo comodo. Even though he must have heard parts from Yuuna when she came for the plan update, I explained how we found out about Hinata's _Byakugan_. Then as it wound down to the finale, when it came to the idiot almost bodging it all up... I didn't even notice my voice's tempo speeding up slightly, my voice more agitato that I ever remember hearing it.

As with all mission debriefings, I stated only the facts. Who did what, when, in relation to other time markers, how and what the result was. There is no 'why' in a debriefing. 'Why' indicates an opinion, and you are asked for that. If they do not ask, it is not needed. Simple as that.

"So that's what you are upset about? Did you ever think that maybe he didn't get it?" Aoba-_sensei _asked.

'_No, really? He didn't get it? How could I have missed that?_' Even my own thoughts were dripping with sarcasm now. "Did I complete the mission, or not?"

I hate having to use a cold voice with people. There are thirty-four mood markers with tempo connotations I had to study while trying to master my flute. Thirty-four. Each has its own style, its own emotion, its own story to convey.

Cold is not on that list. In fact, the second your music becomes cold, people usually stop listening.

"Yes, the mission is completed. We will head back to the Command Centre in a minute. Wouldn't you like to tell Kiba-_kun _something first?" Aoba asked me suggestively.

"No." Again a cold voice. I hate explaining what should be plain as day to someone who had every bit as much information as I did. In fact, I can honestly say that I hate that more than using a cold voice.

"No?" Shock was obvious in his voice. Great, another joker that simply didn't get it.

"_Nee-chan_, stop being stubborn and just explain, out loud why you are so upset." Yuuna chimed in. If her voice was a music instrument, I would expect it to be the triangle. Used sparingly in most classical cases, but if you ignore it the whole piece would fall apart.

I crossed my arms and stared at an interesting laceration on a branch nearby. "It was obvious that they were using Kiba's loose lips to keep us there. I didn't know why they would need to, but it isn't hard to figure out that the _chuunin _were given verbal instruction to test us if we ever got that far." Jeez, it was as plain as daylight! Why am I the only one that ever notices?

"Huh?" Kiba was confused now. The befuddled look on his face, along with scratching the back of his head didn't really help his case.

"Imagine this was a real mission. Imagine we were sent to assassinate someone and we succeeded. Why would you stick around? Why are you asking their corpses to admit they're dead?" Slowly, his confusion settled into embarrassment. "Now, if someone finds us for sticking around, do you think they want to have a friendly chat? Do you think they want to escort us to our Command Centre? Back to our leader? To our friends and allies?"

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "What you did, Kiba, was endanger our mission by almost getting us caught by the enemy. You endangered our lives by letting your ego have free reign over your mouth." I knew my voice was getting colder and colder with each word. I knew it, and I hated it. Still, there was no way in the Hells that I was going to simply forget something that basic because _he_ was involved!

"So that's why you took Akamaru..." He summarized in a small voice.

"Why should I let you throw away both of your lives? Getting yourself killed is bad enough. Doing it to your _ninken _is worse!" I paused, while walking up to the boy. I really got into his face to make my most important point... One that I hoped would stick with him forever.

"But what truly pisses me off. Is that I see this as a real mission... and you really did risk Yuuna's life to make yourself feel that much more important." I pinched my right index finger and thumb together, almost shoving them into his face to accentuate my point.

* * *

We eventually made our way to the Command Centre. I'm still not sure why we were suddenly calling it that, it just seemed right.

It seems that Raidou was actually telling the truth, seeing that Iruka-_sensei_came to our camp to tell us that the first round was over. And the fact that Team Izumo and Team Kotetsu showed up on or about the same time as us was highlighted to me (by a not very helpful Yuuna-_chan_). You think that'd mean that Kiba was off the hook, right? If life had ever been that easy and forgiving to me... then I'd gladly do just that.

"_Nee-chan_, how'd it go?" Hikaru ran up to me the first chance he got. He still had a goofy smile, so I knew there was a stupid comment coming in the next few seconds. "You got into a fight with your lover boy already? Jeez, you don't let anyone off easy do you?"

"Thank, you Karu. I truly believe that my whole life would lose all meaning if your opinions and observations were to be taken away from me." I knew he would pick up on the sarcasm; after all there was no one more sarcastic that Hikaru himself. Luckily he knew to simply shut up around me for a while, now if only everyone would follow suit.

The Hokage called all the _chuunin _into his tent for a progress meeting, and likely to discuss the next round of the Ninja-tag games. Ordinarily I would have donated a kidney to hear anything I could, but this time I just wasn't in the mood to deal with anything. So I snuck into the medical tent to keep an eye on Hinata. '_The poor girl has yet to wake up and I doubt anyone will ever give the girl the credit she is due for her accomplishments._'

Hikaru and Yuuna will lounge around until the next round began, and knowing Hikaru he'll rile up Sasuke any chance he can. There was something about the emo losing his cool that seemed to give the Yukikami a hard on. Oh well, as long as he kept Yuuna out of trouble, then I would cut him some slack.

"Hey there, Hinata." I called out softly. I knew she was sleeping, trying to build up her _chakra _reserves again, but this was more for me than her. "You did good, you know." I ran my hand through her hair. _Kami-sama_ her hair was soft and silky; I would have to ask her what her secret was, because my hair always felt coarse and limp.

"I see you, Hinata..." I began, not really sure why I wanted to say it. It just felt like it needed saying. "I see you struggling to gain your place in the world. To gain the love of those that should come naturally." The bangs that normally covered her forehead were now waterlogged from the cold cloth that had replaced them. I absentmindedly combed them back over her head. "Even if no one else will ever see it, princess. Even if I am the only one who would ever understand the weight of the crown placed on your head. Then I will just have be make up for the ninety-nine fools."

Tears spilled out onto my cheek quicker than I could fight them. '_Why did I have to use __**his **__words right now? It's not like I don't have enough to deal with right now._' _Kami-sama_, I miss _Tou-chan_ so bad right now.

"Do you always whisper words of encouragement to the weary?" A voice asked right behind me.

'_Jeez, you'd think that I would be smart enough to check the room for inhabitants before crying my lungs out, but nooooo._' I mentally drawled, even as I freaked out. "When they are deserving of it." I will not lose my composure, no matter what. Losing one's composure is unbecoming of my status.

"One usually aims to praise those who can appreciate one's words of praise." He spoke clear as midsummer's sky. I could tell immediately that he was raised around nobility, but was too gentle spirited to be one himself. Why I cared to know that would forever be beyond my grasp.

"If she were lucid, she would blush and ignore every single word of praise I had just offered. Or worse yet, deny it. This is the best way to get past her defences and let her mind absorb that she is worth more than he experience tells her." I explained, slowly rebuilding the walls that kept all the world at arms length.

We were both silent for a long moment. So long that I began wondering if he was not really there at all. The only indication that my unexpected guest had not left was the hairs on the back were still on end.

'_Why did I release my hyouhiryugan? It would be really handy right now!_' Sometimes I really hated ingrained habits. Slowly, I brought my hands together and made the dragon hand seal, reactivating my _doujutsu_.

Now that I could see again, I carefully took stock of the Hyuuga behind me. It was obvious now, who he was, seeing that his Byakugan was blazing and he was obviously studying me too! '_Kuso! Just my luck that I wouldn't notice that he was in the room!_' His breathing hitched, obviously noticing something he shouldn't be noticing!

"Who are you?" He asked, clearly awestruck.

'_Kuso, the last thing I need is another idiot figuring out what I am and spreading it like wildfire!_' I took a deep, soothing breath, hoping it would help me to not completely panic. "I believe that one should offer their own name first, before demanding the name of another."

"Hyuuga Kou, I am Hinata-sama's bodyguard."

'_Well, that explains the fixation on why I care anything about her._' Then another curious thought hit me... '_The Hyuuga almost never use bodyguards! They believe too strongly that their own strength should be enough. Worse yet, as a __Yojinbo__, he would live by the code of __Semper Fidelis__. A defined Senju trait... one that I __**know **__I don't have!_'

"Senju Kikyo, no one important to Konoha." Ordinarily I wouldn't see any problem with giving my actual name. No one seemed to understand the significance of it. After all, I bare all the physical characteristics of the Senju clan, but I was named by my _Tou-chan_, so I bear a Yukikami styled name. Somehow, I just knew telling him my name would be bad.

"That's not possible. There is no way that could be true." He was trying to not hyperventilate. Yet, that _doujutsu _of his didn't falter. I had the same feeling coursing through me when I first noticed Hinata had the _Byakugan_... I felt naked. Needless to say, feeling naked in front of a stranger, who probably really could see through my clothes with that damn _doujutsu_, was not a comforting feeling!

'_Well, if he passes out of his own accord, at least I won't take the blame for that._' I smirked at my own thoughts. "Are you telling me that I couldn't possibly be named that?"

"Who are you really? You bare too much likeness to the Second House of the Senju clan, yet you act far too much like a Yukikami. Could that make you the Dragon's Daughter?" Shit! Fuck! Dammit all to hell! This was not going to end well.

"Look, I've had a long day. Would you mind if I played my flute to sooth my nerves?" I asked, just for being polite's sake. Before he could rant much longer, my _komoruita _was already in full swing. I really hated doing it, but there was no way I could let him get away with whatever discoveries he made. My life was only just starting to settle again.

'_I simply can't get a break these days. Maybe it's time to stop fighting it?_' I thought that over for about a second, before damn near hyperventilating. '_There's no way in HELL that I'm going through that again! Dammit, Hiruzen, what have you been telling people now?_'

The second my _jutsu _had done its job, I was off to the Hokage's tent. '_I refuse to have to live through that again!_'

* * *

"Ah, Tatsuko, I had just sent Aoba to look for you." Sarutobi Hiruzen greeted me. My eyes automatically narrowed on him as I took in the scene before me. The _chuunin _were all present, other than Aoba-_sensei_. There were five... no six ANBU sticking to the shadows, obviously not expecting anyone with an active _doujutsu _to be nearby. And Shikmaru was there too?

"_Kuso_." I cursed out loud. I was definitely not in the mood to deal with all this right now.

The Hokage gave me that look again, like he was trying to tell me to listen before assuming I understood the whole situation. '_As if he can even figure out why I'm this paranoid!_' I thought angrily. Still, I would not give anyone the satisfaction of them thinking they'd figured me out that easily. So I just sat next to Nara, where I was obviously expected to be.

"I believe there is no need for the _chuunin _to sit through this. You are all excused, and make sure to inform Aoba that you can all take it easy until the second round is scheduled to begin." They all nodded and simply disappeared, probably via _shunshin_.

"What's this about, Hiruzen?" I asked simply. I didn't have the patience to beat around the bush, even with Shikamaru's eyesbrows disappearing into his hairline from my addressing the Hokage so informally.

"I was going to inform both of you that you will be sitting out the rest of the games today." He answered honestly.

"Bullshit." I retorted.

"Not very ladylike, is she Shikamaru?" He poked fun at me.

"Cut the shit, Hiruzen. What have you been telling people now?"

"Now now, there is no need to create a scene, is there?"

"Look, I just had to knock out a Hyuuga who was clearly jumping to conclusions on his own right in front of me." His eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise at that. Great, he is clueless! _Chikushou_!

I sat there simply cursing my luck. The timing was way off! I didn't have a contingency plan ready to be put in full swing, random people were just jumping to far too accurate conclusions and Kiba... everything was falling apart!

"Maybe you should just calm down and think." Shikamaru shouldn't have opened his mouth. He probably thought he was being helpful, but there was nothing he could say that would actually help me in any way!

"When you walk a mile in my shoes, Nara, then you can have an opinion. Until then, shut up!"

"Child, calm yourself. You are not helping anyone or anything by being like that."

"Look, I can understand Nara being clueless, but you?" It was only then that I realised that they were right: I was ranting. My mouth snapped shut as I fought to regain my composure.

'_Breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out..._' I mutely chanted with each breath. Slowly, I let the whole situation roll around in my head again, taking it all in at once. Then I summarized it all in one word: "Fuck."

"You have your father's way with words." Hiruzen smiled warmly at me.

"Ha, ha, ha. Are you going to handle it or will I?" I asked listlessly.

"There is nothing to handle." He smiled cryptically.

"Fine."

"Now, why must you be so cold? You already know that people know about your clan, so why hide what you are?"

"Because the citizens of Konoha hate me! You of all people should know that."

"The great-grand daughter of Senju Tobirama, hated?" He laughed. "Why do I doubt that?"

"Hikaru's lip is still swollen and the scar on his face is not going anywhere. Care to laugh at that?" I deadpanned. That at least caught his attention, but would he take it seriously? Doubtful, he always believes too strongly in the people of Konoha.

"A sad situation that should never have happened." Was all he committed to.

"That's the best you can come up with? Seriously? Three _chuunin _attack us in broad daylight, damn near behead my little brother in front of a gaggle of witnesses, and that is the best you can come up with? _Tou-chan_ must be rolling in his grave to hear that kind of **bullshit **sprouting from your mouth, Hiruzen."

"You and I both know that the situation has been dealt with." I knew what he was talking about, but did that really fix it?

"Really? Do you really want to get back on that subject with Nara here listening to every word? Because you and I both know I am so far beyond giving a rat's ass about the council!" I could vaguely sense the discomfort in Nara, he was definitely the type to avoid being in these types of situations to begin with. Poor guy.

"If he hears something he is not meant to, do you really expect me to believe that he will remember it by the time he exits this tent?" He smiled cryptically at me.

'_This is exactly why I hate people knowing about my jutsu!_' I growled unintentionally, which probably spiked the lazy boy's discomfort considerably. "Subtle, Hiruzen. Real subtle."

"Subtlety has little meaning with you around." He laughed. "At any rate, I'm sure that the boy has heard more than he is comfortable with. You can go, Shikamaru. Please don't discuss anything you've heard; I doubt your classmate will appreciate it." Nara nodded vigorously before bowing out.

"You trust people too freely." I groused.

"You do not trust at all, are you really in a position to argue with me on such matters?" Came the retort. Suddenly I had the urge to pace. Don't ask me why, I just needed to move, to stand, to walk. Something! Sitting still was not doing my waning sanity any good!

"You still kept the same ANBU all this time, huh? Brings back memories of when I believed you actually cared." I knew I was being disrespectful, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to care any more. Something had broken in me a long, long time ago; something that seemed to take away the ability to care.

He sighed, hard and heavy. What else could he do? I'm not sure I would have reacted any different. "Why do you choose to be so harsh towards me?"

"I treat you the same way I treat anyone I do no trust. Your being Hokage doesn't change that in the least." I stated coldly.

"Then what have I done to earn so little trust?" He thought a second longer. "Or what have I done to lose the respect you once had for me?"

That knocked the air clean out of my lungs, forcing me to blink back the tears as quickly as I could. What happened to change me so completely from the little girl I used to be? What happened to the little girl that would run to her Saru-_jichan _every chance she got?

"I... I..." I cleared my throat, trying to chase away the ghosts that haunted my mind. I looked away, no longer able to bare to meet anyone's gaze. "I miss him..." As I spoke the words, I felt the dam that had been crumbling all day finally break. With it, the maelstrom of a million conflicting emotions flooded my senses. "I just want my _Tou-chan_ back! Is it too much to ask for _Kami-sama_ to leave one person who loves me unconditionally? Is it too much to ask for someone to see me as their little girl? Someone to simply be glad when I walk into the room? Is that too much to ask for?"

Suddenly, the act of standing was too much for my legs to handle. My knees buckled, simply refusing to hold me up any longer. I felt myself falling, falling... the world slowly losing the warmth I used to believe it held.

I fully understood in that one moment what an angel must feel like having lost its wings. It's not that they automatically become evil, they just lose the ability to care. They mourn everything they have ever lost so completely, that they die on the inside. That was what **that **day represented for me. Not just my losing my_Tou-chan_... No, that seemed almost insignificant compared to everything else I lost.

I lost myself.

I died that day, right alongside him. No longer could I be daddy's little girl, because you needed to have a daddy for that. So if I was no longer daddy's little girl, then what was I? Everything in my world at the time tied back to my _Tou-chan_. So even if I focused of being a big sister, it was **his **son I was taking care of. If I threw myself into studying _ninjutsu_, they were **his **_jutsu _I was studying. If I lost myself in my books, they were almost all handwritten by Yukikami Tatsuhi... my _Tou-chan_. If I tried to practice my _taijutsu_, those were the stances **he **drilled into me. So I all but swore off ever using another _taijutsu _stance, punch, kick or _jutsu _ever again.

My hands, my clothes, my very soul was covered in his blood that day, a feeling I have yet to wash out. I was so consumed by that loss that I never found myself back along the way.

Suddenly, the cold world faded away. I wish that meant I had passed out, but I could still feel the broken emotions coursing through me. You know what I mean. That feeling you get when your world turns on its head, like being on a roller-coaster that is going way too fast. No matter how much you try to get accustomed to it, the only thing it lets you feel is the freezing wind howling across you and that dropping sensation in your emotions, like everything is simply too much... Then there's the need to empty your stomach as slowly and painfully as you can. To be sure, I still wanted to retch what little I could eat, but there was a warmth there I had not felt in a long time.

"There, there child." I heard a muffled voice soothing me. What was going on? Why did I recognise such a muffled voice? Suddenly a mollifying sis filled my world to the brim, which only helped me to call on the tears more readily.

* * *

"Jeez, you'd think that she'd know better than to pass out without back up!" I heard someone complaining. I guessed it was Hikaru, seeing that he would be the only one to say something THAT stupid.

"Hi-_chan_, I don't think she planned that." Definitely Yuuna. Great, I guess that means I'm on a medic cot, again! I hate those things.

"Like there're things that happen that she didn't plan to some degree. I'd sooner believe that Sasume is straight!"

"I don't think he's gay, you know."

"Yeah, 'cause every other guy that gets an all you can fuck pass, just broods all day thinking about his older brother. **Right**. He's as straight as the dildo he uses."

"Like you never brooded over Fugaku before?" They were arguing again? Jeez, they are not even sure if I'm awake, but they're arguing.

"If given a choice between thinking about that dick, and thinking about you. No real challenge there." I knew that Yuuna was blushing at the comment. Hikaru simply had a way with words around her. Not always a good way, but a way none the less.

"You're just saying that..." She's just fishing for more compliments now. I know the redhead well enough to know that.

"Nope, I swear. If you ever doubt that, just show up with nothing but a towel on. No matter what I'm thinking about, no matter what I'm doing, there is no way in HELL I would be able to focus on anything but you." Horny toad. "And, to prove beyond reasonable doubt... the towel is optional." WAY too much information there!

"If you two are done undressing each other..." I interrupted, trying to hide the amusement in my voice.

"_Nee-chan_!" Yuuna's voice and demeanour hovered somewhere between gratitude and abject horror. With her knowing that I heard most of that uncensored conversation, I'm guessing abject horror was winning.

"How long was I out?" I asked, after sitting up properly and checking if I still had Aoba-_sensei_'s shades on. Luckily they were still on, that way there is nothing to explain about missing shades... I really didn't need any more on my plate for one day.

"Guess." Came Hikaru's challenge. He loved doing that, just to see how well I can figure things out.

"Yuuna?" I ignored his cursing something under his breath.

"About an hour, according to what _Hokage-sama_ said." She paused briefly to give Hikaru a crossed look, and I think she muttered something about him always acting childish... "We already had to suffer through round two of the games. Hikaru is just upset right now because we weren't allowed to be on the same team."

"Who's team were you on then?" My curiosity was piqued!

"I was still teamed up with Kiba-_kun_. He's really sorry, by the way. So you should stop giving him a hard time about something that could possibly affect a theoretical mission he might not get in ten years time." I sighed; she was right. However, in stead of admitting it, I simply crossed my arms against my chest and looked away from her. Hoping all the while that she missed the barely there upwards curl in my lips.

"Good, now that that's settled, let's get going Hi-_chan_. Round three should be starting soon. Since Iruka-_sensei _said they would be changing the teams this time, we might be allowed to team up if we are there on time!"

"Yes! An hour long make out session. Let's go!" With that, Hikaru practically dragged Yuuna out the medic tent.

Those two were going to make me an aunt before I turned thirteen... I knocked on the wooden frame of the cot, just to be sure.

_**End Chapter 8**_

_**

* * *

**_

**A/N: Lots of love going out to... dum dum dum... Kiravu! Those who guessed it deserve a prize! Sorry about this chapter taking so long, lots of personal and familial problems to deal with. Anyway, Chapter 9 should be done much quicker, since I am in a groove right now :D  
More importantly, Hinata and Hana and Tenten are the current leaders for Sasuke's harem. If you want a different set, please cast your votes on my profile.  
As well, before anyone asks anything weird, this entire chapter, along with Chapter 9, will be in the 1st person POV. Namely Tatsuko's. Why? Because I am writing it! I have my Writer's Rights Membership card to prove the authenticity of my eccentricity, so sit tight and enjoy the ride!**

**

* * *

**

**M.O. - Modus Operandi, from Latin. It basically means 'Mode of operation', so a way of doing things.**

**Kiba _no-baka_ - When you put the suffix 'no-baka' behind someone's name, you are simply calling them an idiot.**

**_Gama_- Toad/frog. In Japanese there seems to be no distinction between the two. Sorry if that conflicts with another Fic on this sight you're reading.**

**Tempo comodo - At a comfortable (normal) speed. A music term, from Italian, used to indicated how you should play the piece.**

**Agitato - Agitated, with implied quickness. A music term, from Italian, used to indicated how you should play the piece.**

**Mood markers with a tempo connotation - Music term, used to indicated how you should play the piece. As stated, there are 34 (thank you Wiki!) of them.**

**_Ninken_- 'Ninja hounds' is the popular way to translate that, however it can indicate wolves, dogs or other canine types. So technically 'hound' is inaccurate, that's why I used _Ninken_instead.**

**_Kami-sama_ - Lord God, Gods, spirits, whatever you want to refer to the most powerful and benevolent spiritual beings. In Japanese there is no plural form for a noun, so it could mean either.**

**_Yojinbo_or _yojimbo_- Bodyguard. In Japanese the 'n' is usually pronounced as 'ng' (used in 'sing'), which is why Westerners usually spell the words with an 'm' instead. I'm guilty too, so don't worry.**

**Semper Fidelis - From Latin, it means 'Always Faithful'. A phrase associated with the American Marines, the Catholic Church, and usually pronounced (by Americans mostly) as Semper Fi.**

**_Komoruita_- Lullaby.**

**_Chikushou_- God dammit! She seems to be cursing quite a bit in this chapter...**

**To knock on wood - A superstition that is quite well known (in the Caribbean at least). Usually when you say something, people say you jinx it (in the Caribbean we say you put 'goat mouth' on it). So to make sure it doesn't happen, you knock on wood. The wood has to be unvarnished, and preferably still planted and attached to its roots, but sometimes you have to settle for less.**


	9. Arc1: Mister Sandman, thank you!

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc**_

_**A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect our favourite blond dobe?**_

_**All underlined terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~ Tatsuko's POV ~**

"Nnnn..." Hinata moaned as she started coming to. I was playing nurse, having just changed the cloth on my patient's forehead when she complained.

"If that's your way of saying thank you, it sucks." I teased, not really expecting a reply from the sleeping Hyuuga.

"Gomen. I guess I'm not good at anything at all then, am I?" Caught off guard, I had no idea how to react. Was she talking in her sleep?

Curiously, I replied to her. Mostly just to see if she was truly lucid. "I wouldn't say that. You are strong, kind and gentle. All you lack is self-confidence."

There was a long silence, which was taken as evidence of the girl's sleep-talking. "If only you were right." A pair of lavender eyes slowly peaked out, taking in the scene before them. "Where are we?" She asked semi-curiously.

"The medic tent, you passed out from chakra deprivation." Kou answered. He was in his early twenties, wearing a _chuunin _vest, loose fitting blue pants and the cloth of his blue forehead protector covered his hair completely. The only distinguishing trait were the lilac, almost pupil-less eyes. Still, if you were to compare him to other Hyuugas, Hinata notwithstanding, he was a ray of sunshine.

"So he can talk." I teased, causing the boy to blush. Now that I really did have the time to analyse the boy, everything about him struck me as odd somehow.

"My apologies, Senju-_dono_. My thoughts were... elsewhere." His eyes darted to Hinata briefly, but long enough to mean something.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced, yet you know who I am. How embarrassing." I giggled nervously, hoping to not cast doubt on myself.

"My sincerest apologies, my name is Hyuuga Kou. I am Hinata-_sama_'s bodyguard." Deja vu? Not for me, I knew what happened.

"I see, and how did that come to be? It is not often that you hear of a bodyguard among the Hyuuga." I asked cautiously, hoping to find out more about him before a repeat experience occurred.

"A most interesting story, that one is. I would gladly regale it as thanks for your tending to my lady." He bowed slightly. "However, I am afraid I am unable to do so at the moment. There are too many ears that may be too willing to hear of the mingled history of the clans."

"By clans, you mean..."

"The Hyuuga and the Senju clans. Surely you must know something of it?" He could never be raised by a Hyuuga. Not in a million years could one of those cold, distant brutes that call themselves noble ever raise this warm, amiable character.

"Something about it, but not too much." I blushed, trying to play my part as well as I could. "I believe we are ignoring Hinata-_chan_. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, just a bit tired." She answered calmly. She seemed to watch the exchange between her _yojinbo_and myself a bit closer than she should. I would have to ask about that in time.

"You're not fine. You are pale, worn out and likely half starved. Please, allow me to go fetch something to sustain you until the midday meal." He bowed deeply to her, then excused himself without another word.

* * *

Some time later, after Hinata had eaten and fell back asleep, Kiba showed up. I was - unfortunately (or fortunately in this case?) - still confined to the medic tent, so it wasn't hard for him to find me.

His posture was as proud as he ever was, but his eyes held doubt and worry. '_I've turned my proud Kiba into a worry wart._' Wait, 'my' Kiba? I'm probably going to end up stealing his first kiss, before he realises the effect he has on me... Wait, I mean... Oh, forget it! Anything I think about with that boy ends up in a jumble!

"Hey." He ventured cautiously.

"Hey." I honestly couldn't tell who was more nervous.

"So listen, I uh... I uh... I'm not very good at this... I-" He paused a third time, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Hinata's doing much better now." I offered, trying to distract him from his thoughts. _Kami-sama_ knew I needed to be distracted for a while too. "She woke up for a while, then ate and went back to sleep. I guess she just needs to rest a bit longer."

"That's good. I'm sure she'll be up and about before you know it. She's always been strong like that." He laughed. "You might wanna be careful though, she has this weird habit of only being half asleep when she's out of it like that." My eyes bugged out at his words. _Kuso_!

"Well, I'm sure she can keep a secret. So there's nothing to worry about." I laughed nervously. '_Right?_'

"Why you looking so nervous? Don't tell me you were talking about me the whole time you were in here?" That smile made its way to his facial features again... Once again stealing the breath out of my lungs.

What was it about his damn smile that always affected me like that! I mean, sure, he was cute. And his lips looked soft and touchable... and the way his eyes sparkled reminded me of the stars reflecting off the lake on a cloudless night... and the way he seemed to stare right into my soul the way he was watching me... like right now...

My knees buckled.

"Whoa, you okay?" Kiba caught me before I could hurt myself. Unfortunately, that meant that he wrapped his arms around me to steady me. He was holding me so close... I could smell his hair, and the light sweat that had his skin glistening.

'_Kami-sama, he uses Herbal Essences shampoo, but no conditioner. And he creams his skin with cacao butter. Rich in vitamins and it tastes sooooooo goooood._' _Kuso_! I just HAD to think that. I felt my whole face heat up. It must be the combination of salt and the sweetness of the cacao butter affecting me... yeah, that's it! It has absolutely NOTHING to do with his proximity, or the warmth of his arms on me... or the fact that I can feel my, um... my chest rubbing against him.

'_The sweetest torture._' I snuggled up to him a bit more. "Can you - _itee_..." I limped a bit, trying to get a little closer to him, while acting like I was walking past him. "Can you help me sit down, over there?" I pointed at the cot I was laying on earlier, on the far side of the tent.

Sure, I could have simply asked to sit down on the chair that was right behind him... but I just wanted to sit on the cot, okay!

"I hear you and Yuuna were teamed up without me. How'd that go?" I asked, trying to distract my mind enough to not pass out from the seeming endless blush that would not go away.

"Preddy good, but we'll talk 'bout that later." He pulled his arm around me to support me better, which pulled me in closer to him. "Let's getcha ta lay down and rest that foot o' yours."

I didn't know how well I could act until that moment. I well and truly should have earned a Grammy or something, because I was milking the opportunity for all it was worth. What started out as me simply going weak in the knees, ended up with his arms wrapped around me. And his side rubbing against mine... and his eyes roaming all over me, trying to figure out where I was hurt... Dammit this was becoming a pattern! STOP MESSING WITH MY MIND! Stupid feelings!

"You sure you're okay? You look like you could be running a fever." He said suddenly.

"I-" Brain functions stopped completely. There was no way in hell I could ever hope to focus on anything now!

He was standing on my left, with his right arm around my waist supporting me as I limped - no I didn't hurt my leg, but I was not going to argue if he wanted to hold me so close to him! Stop missing the point here!

What truly took my breath away though, was that he took his left hand and was caressing my face. The logical part of my brain - which could go to hell any time now - was telling me that he was just checking me for a fever. Ah! Now he's caressing my neck. Who knew that his hands were so soft and gentle? You know what, don't answer that. I'm afraid I might hunt them down for knowing something like that about MY Kiba.

'_Get it together, Tatsuko! He isn't yours. He isn't anybody's._' Straight to hell in a hand basket. That's where the logical part of my brain was going.

I was so focused on the internal war between my hormones (fucking emotional bullshit!) and the logical part of me (which would be dancing with the devil soon), that I completely missed this... dip?

"FUCK!" The ankle that I was pretending to favour to get closer to - no, to have Kiba **aid **me to sit down on a comfortable medic cot - felt like it just snapped! I hate karma. Really, I do.

Without even thinking, obviously having heard the little cracking sound coming from my ankle, Kiba picked me up. '_So this is what it feels like to be carried bridal style?_' He gently placed me on the cot and turn to leave. Again came the emotions vs logic battle. Logic was telling me that he was likely going to get a medic _nin _to look at me and heal whatever was ailing me. Emotions were telling me that he was leaving.

"Where are you going!" I asked a **little **louder than I intended. I grabbed at his hand to make him turn around. I didn't care about the pain, I was used to that already. I just wanted him nearby.

"To get a medic. I ain't no good at that stuff, and you need someone to look at your foot." He reasoned. His voice was calm, soothing even.

"Please, just stay here. It doesn't even hurt that much." I told him. I'm not sure if I was lying or not, to be honest. I just knew that my heart would snap like a twig under an Akamichi's foot if I had to see him walk away.

"Tell you what, I'll leave Akamaru with you while I go get someone." He placed his pup on my stomach, patting his head lightly. "Akamaru will look after you, right boy?"

"What happened in here?" A medic ran in. I guess I shouted a little louder than I expected, seeing that he had obviously run from where ever he was at the time.

"She messed up her ankle I think, I was just going to come call you to check on her." Kiba explained, not missing a beat.

I'm glad I was too busy focusing on Kiba at the time, because with my _doujutsu _still active I could sense the idiot that came to my 'rescue'. He was the medic that usually tended to me, if Kenichi-_sensei _- who was the only medic or doctor, or anything associated with the Konoha Hospital that I ever allowed to touch me without reprisal - was unavailable.

'_Fucking karma..._'

"Very well, I will tend to her. However-" He held his hand out to stop Kiba from taking another step away from me. Standard procedure when a medic is tending to a patient: step away. People usually get in the way without meaning to.

'_Maybe he isn't so bad after all? Hell, if he could keep Kiba close to me, or... touching me._' _Kuso_! I'm sure that my heels are turning pink now.

"I will need you to hold her hands, and keep her calm." Kiba looked at him like he was crazy. "This might hurt a bit, so I need you to help me calm her down." This time Kiba nodded, understanding what he was saying.

I knew he was just trying to keep me from flailing on him, but if it meant that a certain classmate was holding me, then the _baka _could do just about anything! '_A small price to pay._'

True to instruction, Kiba held my hands steady. Except, he was not used to this type of thing. A nurse in the hospital would have held my arms steady at my sides, placing all their weight on me to keep me from thrashing around. I liked his way better...

He laid me back comfortably - since I half sat up, ready to attack the idiot medic on sight - and placed both my hands just above my head. '_Ohh, he likes to be the dominant one._' I wasn't sure if my blush could get any deeper before, but I know better now. The combination of feeling Kiba so close to me (he decided to sit next to me so that I didn't see him upside-down) and feeling his powerful, yet delicate, touch holding me in place... and the warmth of his bare skin on mine... and the fact that his nose was about a centimetre away from mine... and the gentle warmth of his breath against my face (he didn't even have bad breath!)... and let's not forget that he just started rubbing his nose against mine, probably in an attempt to remove my shades so that he could see my eyes.

'_Am I in Heaven now?_' He stopped rubbing against me for a second, before holding both my forearms with one hand to remove my shades completely. He folded them neatly and stuck one of the foldable side thingies into his shirt to hold it there. Foldable side thingies? Is that what this boy is doing to my brain? '_FUCK YOU LOGIC! GO AWAY!_' I just want to feel right now! I just want to focus on his touch, on his breath...

"Her ankle is badly sprained, and the tendon is bruised. I'm going to have to set the joint manually if she wants to be able to use it any time this week." He must have turned to me, wondering what I wanted him to do. However, there was nothing in this world that was going to tear my attention away from those eyes.

'_Fangs... his eyes are like fangs. It's like he is the eternal predator, but am I a potential mate, or prey?_'

"_Tsu-chan_, he needs to know what you want. He can help it heal quickly, but he would have to set it for you then. It might hurt a bit, but it will heal better that way."

_Tsu-chan_? Is that the best he could come up with for a nickname? _Tsu-chan_? Well, is you took '_t__su' _to mean 'inquiring', it might fit.

"Do it." I told him. _Kami-sama_, I hope Kiba doesn't catch on to the possible double entendre!

"Okay, Inuzuka-_san_, I'm going to need you to hold her a bit better this time. The odds of her not reacting to this are slim to none." _Baka_-_san _explained.

"What do you need me to do?" Kiba asked, curious as to what the man was really saying.

"Well, this is unorthodox, but I need you to hold her leg and two arms well out of my way." He explained curiously. How in the name of _Kami-sama_ was Kiba supposed to do that? "You see, I am going to have to pull her ankle out of its socket, to restore the normal flow of blood and chakra for it to heal properly and quickly. That is strenuous on the nervous system," Meaning that it would hurt like hell! "So, in order to ensure that her other limbs do not interfere with what I am doing, you are going to have to use a type of full body hold to keep her under control."

Full... body... hold... If he had suggested anyone else to touch me like that, my blood would have boiled over from rage. Seeing who was going to hold me like that... my blood was heating up with a totally different kind of emotion.

"That ain't really needed, doc. It's too extreme!" Kiba objected, blushing furiously. Damn it, Kiba, play along!

_Kuso_! How was I even supposed to react as a proper young lady? Did I really care?

Before I could figure out how I was supposed to react, my right leg (the one that was uninjured) was folded up next to me. I felt like a manikin in a clothing store, being folded up and stored for later use. My knee somehow made its way to my chest, with my left leg still held straight as an arrow. Kiba was then instructed to SIT on the back of my leg and hold both my arms in place.

So - as the logical part of my brain pointed out, clearly not in hell where it belonged - Kiba followed instructions. Really well. Really, REALLY well.

His left leg hooked around my right leg, as he leaned forward and placed my hands above my head once again. I felt his weight just below my rib cage, while his chest was placed firmly against the side of my face. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. And so warm... _Kami-sama_, I doubt I would want this to end any time soon. Uhh, that's not what I mean, I...

"FUCK!" _Baka-teme_ just pulled my ankle out of its socket! What was he, part of the torture healing squad! I must have tried to pulled my leg away from him, or something, because he started instructing Kiba to slide back to help hold my other leg as well.

'_Mixing pleasure and pain? Sounds good to me._' Kuso! Fucking emotions/hormones/whatever the fuck was making me think like a dog in heat!

True to his training and discipline, Kiba slid down further. What was (hopefully?) unintended, is that his chest is rubbing roughly against mine... and his hips are rubbing against mine... and... '_Is he straddling my left leg?_' Yes he is! I actually feel Kiba's... um... Fuck, this is getting awkward. His... thing is now firmly pressed against the higher portion of my thigh, with his legs crossed over mine to keep it in place. And his chest was firmly against mine... Ahhhh! His left thigh just rubbed against something he should not be rubbing it against! But, the situation being what it is, it's not like I can do a whole lot about it! Even if I wanted (I do want him to stop fondling me, right?).

Suddenly I could hear brass instruments playing a lively beat. Slowly building up excitement and expectation. Then the music dips, giving way to a baritone voice accompanied by a snare drummer: '_Heaven, I'm in Heaven. And my heart beats so I can hardly speak. And I seem to find the happiness I seek. When we're ..._' Why in the HELL is that song playing in my head right now! That is **sooooo **not helping me focus!

Focus? Focus on what? If Kiba wants (or doesn't want, it's not like it matters at this point) he could (and probably is) cop(ping) a feel of anything he (I) wanted (him) to feel.

Then this happens. What could possible send me further over the edge now? Well, he is breathing in the nape of my neck. The warmth of his breath is radiating through every inch of skin it touches, lighting a fire in me I don't know (or want) to fight back. That same warmth is worming its way South, electrocuting any resistance it finds. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing at full attention, I feel my nipples turn hard as diamonds. Which, by the way, are now slightly rubbing against his chest every time I breathe!

It's like lighting a match and just watching it burn. Slowly, that fire sinks deeper into me, lower into me. It's in my belly now, heating up so completely that I'm sure that Kiba feels it, even through our clothes. And that leg of his hasn't moved, but I can feel something vibrating (?) through it. I don't know what that is. Fuck, am I purring? _Kami-sama_, I hope not! Don't I know! How the hell can I know anything like this? The only part of my brain that seems to be functioning is the part I want to stop functioning!

'_He's so..._' So... what? What was that thought? Why do I want him to be anything! '_This is confusing, but soooooooooooo gooooooOOOOOOD!_' I drawled mutely.

I hear something being said, somewhere... I am too far gone to hear, care, wonder... anything. If it is not this moment, it doesn't exist.

Something cold is being wrapped around my ankle... um area? Not that I care. I am too warm, too far gone in this sweet agony, whatever the feeling really is.

Kiba is starting to move now. My knee is being released from its prison, and is slowly being placed next to it partner, but something is wrong (way too good to be right!). Kiba's thigh feels closed to me, rubbing deeper into me... pushing me further into this haze, this blaze of emotion that is threatening to consume me entirely.

He pulls further away, unknowingly (or purposely, who's to say) giving me one last... how should I say... thrust into the abyss? In one fluent motion, my entire body is stroked and convulses with an intense sensation exploding in the pit of my stomach.

The last thing I remember, is thinking: '_Thank you, sir. __May I have another?_'

* * *

I woke up, only _Kami-sama_ knows what time it was. I was also half certain I didn't care. The sun was shining, I could hear birds chirping outside. The rhythmic breathing coming from Hinata told me that she was still sleeping.

A quick glance around the room told me that I was alone with the Hyuugas once again. Apparently Kou had no intention of leaving his lady's side. Which I somehow felt grateful for. I don't know what it was, but I just felt good!

I sat up in the cot, wondering what happened. '_Maybe it's just a good day? Good days happen, right?_' It had been so long since I was simply glad to wake up, was this how it felt?

Well, no sense in worrying about it, I guess. I have to go catch up on the information I missed out on. I still have to apologize to Kiba for how I acted earlier. I had to-

"Arf! Rrrrrrrr... Arf arf!" Someone was barking at me? I turned towards the sound, which came from my feet? Do feet bark at you on good days?

"Rrrrrrr. Arf!" The sound came again, followed by some panting? Huh? I was looking at my feet, but I didn't see anything that should be barking at me. I decided to chance it, and bent forward more, to look under the cot.

"Akamaru? What are you doing here?"

_/ "Tell you what, I'll leave Akamaru with you while I go get someone." He placed his pup on my stomach, patting his head lightly. "Akamaru will look after you, right boy?" _

_/_

A sole tear escaped before I could stop it. "Kiba told you to stay here, huh?" The pup barked happily at me, then he ran from where he was laying down, took a u-turn and jumped up onto my lap. I patted his head gently and stroked his back, trying to show canine how grateful I was that he was willing to stay with me.

"Hey, what do you say we go look for your master, huh?" Without even thinking, the pup barked happily and jumped off my lap. "I'll take that as a yes." I took my time testing my ankle, trying to avoid it acting up on me. After judging it was not going to hurt to walk around a bit, I got up and slowly walked after Akamaru, who was already on to Kiba's scent.

* * *

Kiba, Yuuna, Hikaru, Aoba-_sensei _and Hiruzen were just sitting near each other, by the fire. They all seemed to be taking it easy at the moment, chatting idly while waiting on something interesting to happen.

"Arf, arf! Arrrooooo!" Akamaru announced as he jumped at Kiba. How could you not laugh at that? Kiba was getting every inch of his face licked, after Akamaru had pounced on him and knocked him on his back.

"Well, it looks like someone is happy to see you." I teased, slowly making my way over to the group.

"Hey, sleepyhead. You finally back among the living?" Hikaru greeted. He was being his usual, charming self, I suppose.

"Good to see you too, Karu. And my favourite _Imouto-chan_ too!" I smiled widely at them both. Hikaru was nonplussed at my greeting, but Yuuna's face lit up like she was four years old looking at a ten foot tall Christmas tree.

I carefully sat next to Yuuna, after giving the others a warm smile in greeting. "You seem to be in a better mood now, _Nee-chan_. Does that have anything to do with Kiba visiting you while we were gone?" Yuuna whispered her observation. I looked over at the him, careful not to draw too much attention to my gaze.

He seemed to be smiling a bit brighter now, but still with that cocky air about him. His eyes shone with life, as he and Hikaru joked about something or the other. Even Aoba-_sensei _and Hiru... no, _Hokage-sama_... Aoba-_sensei _and _Hokage-sama_ were laughing along with the boys' antics.

"Yes, _Imouto-chan_. I think it does." I smiled at my own words. I was still careful to keep my voice low, even lower than a whisper. I knew Yuuna could still pick it up, but I didn't want anyone else to eavesdrop on our private conversation.

"_Nee-chan_, you can't just leave me with a bright smile, and cheery attitude and no juicy details!" She tried to keep her voice down, I know she tried. But _Kami-sama_, she was having a hard time with it. She was just exited, so I didn't really hold it against her.

I leaned in to whisper directly in her ear: "Later, I promise."

She turned to me, almost in shock. She knew that means there was something juicy there, and the excited look on her face spoke volumes of how much she thought really happened. I just smile and shrugged.

I could tell by the look in her eyes that she didn't want to wait till later, but there were simply too many people around to talk about it. She just kept begging me with her eyes though. '_Why do I have to give in to pouty lips and begging eyes?_' No, I decided then that I was willing to give in to my little sister, not her begging me.

I started humming softly to myself, picturing the events that took place... um, I'm not really sure how long ago they took place anymore. Well, either way, I pictured the scene as clearly as I remembered it. The thoughts running through my head, the sensations that assailed me. I closed my eyes, simply drinking in the scene in its entirety.

Almost five minutes later, I slowly my humming, then stopped entirely. I turned to Yuuna, who had a huge smile plastered on her face.

"You are so lucky, _Nee-chan_." Yuuna's smile dimmed somewhat, obviously comparing her life to mine for a moment.

'_I guess she is forgetting how much bad stuff happens to me, all the time!_' Best not to go there, I really want to enjoy my good day!

"Hey, you still need to tell me what all I missed today! And what time is it!"

_**End Chapter 9**_

_**

* * *

**_

**A/N: Kiravu, Luv Ya, girl! I also want to send out some love to my reviewers! It's good to know that people are not just opening the page and closing it after the first line -.-''  
Anyhoo, I hope no one thinks that the scene with Kiba and Tatsuko was too steamy. Ah, who am I kidding, everyone is going to think that! No, I hope everyone understands that neither youth knows how to react to it, and barely understands what REALLY happened between them (well, from her perspective anyway).**

**Oh, and the next chapter is likely going to mark the end of this Arc. Premature, maybe. But I have too much cooking in the next Arc to keep putting it off. I am not going to hit a Filler Arc that lasts... months, like the director of the show! I really wonder about their sanity sometimes! I mean, in the Konoha History Arc, the characters in the flashback were not even 'in character'!**

**So, everyone who wants their voice heard, and their vote to count, had best cast their vote on my profile! Cause time is running out! I have already selected two of the girls that WILL be in the harem, and the... interesting twist I am going to give it. *smirks evilly***

**"I am the last of the Uchiwa! You will respect the supreme douchbag-ness I represent!" Yuuna giggles in the background.  
"_Hi-chan_, don't you ever get tired of picking on Sasuke?"  
"Nope. Never."  
"Don't they say 'never say never'?"  
****"'They' never met the emo, have 'they'?  
"I dunno. Who are 'they' anyway?"  
"Yuuna, Karu, be nice. The readers are not supposed to hear you two arguing in what was supposed to be a one-liner!"  
"You want a one-liner? How 'bout a direct quote from Sasume herself? Hnn." Yuuna giggles again  
****"Isn't that one word?"  
"Is that even a word?"  
"Yuuna, Karu, stop arguing. Now please tell the readers something nice, and keep it short."  
"Fine..." They both grouse.  
"Well, thank you all for reading." Yuuna smiles a bit shyly, then turns to Hikaru.  
"Uchiwa Sasume is a girl!"  
"Karu! I said something nice!"  
"What? That is the nicest thing I have ever said about the-"  
"Yukikami Hikaru, say something nice TO the READERS. It doesn't have to be ABOUT Uchiha."  
"Fine. Thank you all for reading what my sister is forcing me to say, which is not necessarily about Uchiwa Sasume, who is-"  
"Karu!" Yuuna giggles again, obviously liking Hikaru's outbursts, or Tatsuko chastising him. Or both?**


	10. Arc1: What'd I miss?

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Ninja-tag Arc**_

_**A new class is introduced to Umino Iruka as things get tossed on their head quickly. How is it that so many exceptions are being made? And since when were so many Clan Heirs gathered in one class? How can a little support affect our favourite blond dobe?**_

_**All **__**underlined**__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

_**Please enjoy the final instalment of the Ninja-tag Arc. The girls for Sasuke's harem (as he chooses them) are announce in the final scene of this chapter. Though, I will be honest, there was a three-way tie for first, second and third place... Oh well, seeing that Sakura and Ino are too obvious a choice, they automatically got the boot. Sorry if you don't like that, but they really were at the bottom of the poll. I do have some... unique plans for them though.**_

_**Well, you will all see in time. As for now. On with the show!**_

_**

* * *

**_

**~Narrator's POV~**

"What'd you miss?" Hikaru repeated the question, after the Hokage and Aoba excused themselves. It was almost dinner time, and they officially still had the rest of the night to go, seeing that twenty-four hours would mean the end wasn't until 6:00 AM the next morning.

He tapped his finger against his swollen lips, thinking about that. He could give her a play by play, seeing that it wasn't hard to remember what happened, but what was the point?

"Well?" Tatsuko was starting to get restless, and likely a bit anxious. She hated crowds - which by her definition was anyone she was not used to - and she had been asleep for lunch. The combination troubled her little brother, but there was little he could do at the moment.

"Not much. After the first round, it kinda became a bit more like child's play. Nothing interesting happened, other than Kiba giving Sasuke a black eye." His voice was even, but everyone could easily see the pleased smile on his face as he relayed the last of the news.

"Why would you do that?" She couldn't exactly say she was surprised; Sasuke was not well liked among his peers. Sure the adults LOVED him! The Council ADORED him! Hell, 99.9% of the female population would rape him on sight if they thought they could get away with it. Too bad that 0.1% percent that didn't adore him, hated him more than anything; and the boys all envied and/or despised him.

"Nothing you need to worry about. It was done, and it should be celebrated!" Hikaru laughed as he patted the boy in question's back proudly. Tatsuko was not so easily distracted though.

"What did he do, Kiba-_kun_?" Sure, Kiba was cocky. In fact, he was likely the only one in the class that could compete with the Uchiha in regards to self confidence. However! Tatsuko knew Kiba far too well to even consider the possibility that he had started it.

'_Kiba-kun often refers to the class as his pack. That means he would never attack one of us without just cause. Pack members fought __**for **__each other, not against or amongst each other._'

"He was being his usual charming self, _Nee-chan_. Trust me, Kiba-_kun_is embarrassed enough as it. Just let it be." Hikaru defended. Kiba, however, thought the girl deserved to know.

"He was sayin' some crap about how I was soilin' **his **property by enterin' the medic tent unsupervised." Tatsuko's eyes narrowed instantly, then began slowly growing to the size of dinner plates. Then slowly, as the import of those words sank in, he eyes hardened, returning to their normal size again... Yuuna and Hikaru knew the look all too well. It was one reserved for only the most heinous of transgressions. One that virtually guaranteed aggressive - and more than likely, lethal - reprisal from the girl.

"Well, can't say I didn't do something nice for Sasume this time. Thanks Kiba. I owe you one!" Hikaru patted the boy on his back again. True, Kiba was sure she'd be upset too, but he felt it was the right thing to do to explain the situation to the girl.

"Inuzuka-_san_," Tatsuko began, bowing deeply to the boy, "You have my humblest and sincerest thanks for your actions regarding this... _disquieting _situation. If you would all excuse me, I believe I need to lay down. My injury is troubling me, and I am rather spent." Yuuna, who knew that her _Nee-chan_ was neither tired, nor in pain, helped her to stand up.

"Do you want me to help you back to the tent?" Yuuna asked innocently. If Tatsuko needed someone to talk to she would say yes, otherwise she just wanted to be alone to plot something.

"That is not necessary, _Imouto-chan_. Though, I thank you for your willingness." With that, she left. Her face was the epitome of calm, but her eyes betrayed the true depths of the intense emotion ravaging her being. Kiba was sure that even the trees surrounding Konoha would move out of her way if she told them to at that point.

"Did I do somethin' wrong?" Kiba asked worriedly. He was certain that if he was the source of her agitation, he would not survive the week.

"Nope. You might wanna get out your best black clothes though. Uchiwa's funeral might be coming sooner than hoped."

* * *

"Hikaru, stop messin' around. That girl's pissed off, so you better tell me if I need to be worried!" Kiba and Hikaru were teamed up this time, with Aoba as their _chuunin_. Kiba was actually getting used to the man, seeing that he had been on his team the whole day, in addition to the two preceding ones. Still, there was something so familiar about him that Kiba simply couldn't put his finger on.

"Kiba, how many time do I gotta say it. If she was pissed at you, you'd know it! She isn't the best at hiding her anger, you know!" Hikaru just ducked below yet another tag, not even bothered by the predicament. It seemed that Sasuke was 'it' this time, and since the rule change after the first round, that meant that he was the only one that was allowed to carry any tags at all. Everyone else had to run and could still only dodge.

"That's right, Sasume, keep trying to tag us. Enjoy your last moments alive!" The pale boy shot back, unnerving the emo slightly. Though only Kiba's sharp hearing heard the 'hnn' Sasuke replied with.

"So you were baiting me to tell her what happened then?" Kiba was anxious enough when it came to **that** classmate. When adding the plainly written murder in her eyes and the tense posture she exhibited after that scene earlier, he really wanted to be 100% sure he was not on her bad side in ANY WAY!

"Yup!" Hikaru announce proudly. "Everyone's been bugging me that I lay it on too thick with the shitstain, so I decided to have you tell her what happened and what he said. That way I know _Nee-chan_ will plot to kill him, and I have my hands clean from the situation. Well, until she asks me to kill him, at least. Which she hopefully will!"

"You hate the boy that much?" Aoba asked evenly.

"Nope. Much more." Was all the boy would commit to.

"Then how come you never laid a finger on him before?" Kiba asked.

"_Nee-chan_ said he was off limits. But since he fucked that up, I doubt that'll last long." Hikaru smiled broadly, not even bothering to hide how happy he was about that.

"That guy ain't letting up is he!" Kiba groused, barely jumping over the latest attack. Sasuke had been chasing them for the last ten minutes. Every time he threw a tag he had to reclaim it - seeing that he only had four in total - so his attacks were erratic. And the three targets figured his impaired depth perception was helping them out quite a bit. Another reason why Hikaru was starting to warm up to Kiba. Anyone that despised that waste of sperm couldn't be all bad.

"Oh look, **she **_**can **_throw two at once!" Hikaru laughed as he dodged the double attack. '_Kami-sama, I __**love**__pissing Sasume off!'_

* * *

"Hey, Naruto?" Yuuna asked. She and her team were sitting down, just trying to pass the time. Naruto sat on the ground near a stream that seemed to have a calming effect on him. Yuuna was jumping around, complaining about having nothing to do.

As for Kotetsu? He was just thanking the Heavens for getting him away from his first team! He had yet to get over the boisterous nuisances that plagued him the first two days of his test.

Honestly, if he had to hear one more shriek from Sakura, one more pointless argument, or one more complaint from Ino, he probably would have forfeited the test altogether.

'_These two seem to get along well enough. Hell, I don't even mind the Kyuubi kid on the team if it keeps me away from those two_!'

"Yeah?" Naruto answered after almost a solid minute of silence.

"I've got an extra soda that Hi-_chan _gave me, you want it?" She offered him. Her voice always seemed to be barely louder than a whisper, so you always had to pay close attention to hear her. Naruto honestly hadn't thought she said anything, until he noticed her looking at him.

"Really? Gee thanks." Naruto smiled broadly. Yuuna was quick to notice that the smile never reached his eyes though. She offered the soda along with a bright smile, all the while wondering why he seemed unwilling to actually take it. "It's okay, I'm not trying to trick you." She eventually said, a bit louder than she otherwise would have.

"Heh heh. Um, yeah, uh... Okay." He seemed flustered, unsure how to act or react. She stuck her hand out a bit more to place the can gently in his hand, without touching him of course. She never really liked touching people, or being touched by them. Naruto kept a keep eye on the girl, just in case. Thoroughly puzzled by her nonchalant, almost serene expression.

_'I wonder if it's booby trapped, or something._' The sardonic part of his brain wondered. '_Nah, Yuuna's not the type._' He carefully opened the can, tightly closing his eyes... just in case. The grape soda fizzed a bit as it breathed the air in, but other than that nothing happened. He had already checked the expiration date on the can, so he knew it wasn't over date. The final test was the smell and taste test.

'_Jeez, I'm so paranoid!_' He groped, bringing the can to his lips. He was careful to smell the liquid for anything unusual, but in absence of irregularity he sipped some. Again, nothing happened. No hidden exploding tag, no bugs crawling out, no overly sweet or sour taste. Nothing.

He carefully drank a bit more; soon having to stifle a moan as he started gulping away. With the day being so hot and the cool drink being exactly what he needed, it wasn't that odd that he thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Man, that hit the spot! _Dattebayo_!" He announced happily. "Thanks!"

"Hey, we orphans gotta stick together, _ne_?" She smiled, though it was less... full of life, when compared to her normal smiles.

Neither student noticed the subdued look on Kotetsu's face.

* * *

Tatsuko sat on her cot, the air around her as pensive as a certain Uchiha emo. Her eyes briefly flicked to the Hyuuga duo in the opposite corner.

Hinata had woken up, seemingly well rested, but chakra exhaustion was notorious for making unexpected relapses. Kou, obviously knowing this, allowed her to sit up, but no more than that. She was expressly forbidden to stand or use her chakra in any way, until he deemed her well rested.

'_I remember how that was... someone caring about every injury, no matter how small it felt._' Tatsuko thought sombrely.

It was only a year ago. The event that would, once again, change her life forever. '_Forever? Ha! Forever has come and gone so many times I've lost count._' Suddenly, Tatsuko had the urge to play her flute. Not for any jutsu, not for practice... just to calm her nerves so she could think properly. She resisted though, not wanting to give into the memories that once again haunted her thoughts.

/ _"Shisui, bring up the rear!" Fugaku shouted to his second in command. "Inabi, Tekka box him in from both sides; and Yashiro, you take long range! I'll take him head on."_

_"How like you, Fukagu, to try to assassinate those who do not openly oppose your pathetic clan." Tatsuhi observed dryly. No one made any verbal response, but the tick mark on their foreheads was the only reply he needed. _

_"It's a shame, seeing I was half hoping Itatchi and Tatsuko would someday help the Great Clans heal the age old wounds your clan inflicted." The tone in his voice was much colder now, as five Uchihas took up their positions around him._

_"Don't worry, we've already taken care of that." Fugaku taunted, knowing that his opponent was __**severely **__overprotective of that girl._

/

NO! Tatsuko REFUSED to live through that memory again! She never wanted to think about it; she never wanted to talk about it. That day was the greatest taboo in her life!

The simplest reference to any person involved in that day at all had the power to bring her to her knees, and not just from pain... She had to fight to keep her anger under control. No matter how much that day affected her, she could not and would not let her anger control her any more!

A few deep breaths later, her breathing normalized and she could see colours other than red - without Aoba's shades on and her _doujutsu _inactive. She was slowly soothing the innate rage that rehashing that day called at a moment's notice.

But the tears kept falling.

Quicker than strictly needed, Tatsuko lay her head on the pillow and covered up. If anyone noticed her odd actions, they made no point in drawing attention to it. Or the fact that the Senju turned to face the wall of the tent... or the erratic rise and fall of her chest, shoulders, belly... or pretty much any other uncontrollable reaction to her emotional state.

Like the barely audible sobs that escaped her notice...

* * *

/ _"Uchiha Sasuke, this is the decision of the Council. You will abide by it, unless you desire to be arrested for insubordination." Sasuke stood there, tensely silent. How could he avenge his clan if he wasn't even allowed to train properly to reach Itatchi's level?_

_He stood before the notorious Konoha Council, which meant that the Hokage was absent. His two advisers would chair the meeting in his absence, but they were known for their difference in opinion with the Sandaime._

_'Not being able to achieve my full potential is every bit as criminal as not agreeing to your drivel.' The Uchiha thought sourly. _

_"Now, our judgement is as follows: you will select at least four females with which you will begin rebuilding your clan. You will not even be allowed to take your first D-class mission as a genin until your first son is born. Should you prove capable of siring at least four children, with a minimum of two sons, then this council shall aid you in anyway it can in your future endeavours."_

_"What if they refuse? Or they cannot bare child themselves? Surely you cannot blame me if the females are defective."_

_"Which is why you are required to select four of them. One barren female is rare enough, four in a row is your own fault!"_

_'Why don't I have a choice in this?' Sasuke wondered. Obviously a member picked up on his thoughts._

_"You wish to rebuild your clan, do you not?"_

_"Of course!"_

_"You also wish to avenge your clan by slaying your brother?"_

_"I have never hidden those ambitions. Why are you asking?"_

_"What if your brother should prove the stronger, and slay you instead? What happens to the Uchiha clan then? You would have Itatchi be the only living Uchiha? Perhaps even rebuild the clan himself? He could easily have his crimes pardoned in another village and use his army of Sharingan wielding Uchiha against you! Against Konoha! If you wish to be aided or unhindered, then you __**will **__consent to this plan and rebuild your clan first!" Sasuke didn't care to identify any single speaker in the crowd of nearly thirty people. The only thing he cared about was that there was no other choice. _

_"Fine, you want me to knock up four brainless fan-girls? Then I want your word that you will give me every opportunity to become the strongest shinobi Konoha has ever produced! I will also want a team of ANBU stationed at my side at all times. And If so much as ONE female turns the offer down, then it falls on your collective failure."_

_"That is non negotiable! It is you who must choose them, but they must choose you as well! You can blame no one other than yourself in that regard!" There was a long pause as Sasuke thought of another way to get out of this mess._

_"Furthermore, if you fail to acquire four concubines by your thirteenth birthday, we will be forced to select them for you!"_

/

'_Why must I always suffer so?_' Sasuke asked himself, throwing all four tags at once at the Yukikami that had taken every opportunity to frustrate him ever since they met. '_Why is everyone so focused on hindering my training, my advancement? It's almost as if... __**he**__... is arranging this to stagnate my growth!_'

That's when it hit him. The ideal plan... the best way to strike back at **that man**, without even going against the vile plan he had been coerced into. No one knew better than Sasuke that he had a few... personsof interest, before his defection. Though the list was short, it was long enough to placate the council... and it gave marginal room for error.

'_First there was that Inuzuka girl... Hana I think her name was. She was a classmate of his, a close friend. Oh how sweet that would be._'

'_The blacksmith's daughter always clung to him like a love sick puppy, she was definitely in love. Corrupting Tenten's love for him will be needed._'

'_As well, that Kitsunaga girl. He was especially protective of her. He seemed to defend her from anyone that dared to get too close. She is going to be the most frequently ravaged of the bunch!_'

'_Then there was that Kohaku brat... his teammate's little sister, and her father is the Kohaku representative to the council... what was her name? It doesn't matter. She is definitely going to be getting it the roughest! That'll teach the Council for messing with my plans!_'

'_And last but not least, his absolute favourite... his best friend. The one he always turned to when he needed someone. Though I will never understand what they had in common..._' The boy paused in his attack, slowly savouring the idea of ruining that girl for life! The one, true enemy of the Uchiha clan...

'_Senju... Tatsuko... __Itatchi's fiancé!_'

_**End Chapter 10**_

_**End Ninja-tag Arc**_

* * *

**A/N: As you all know, I want to send out lots of love to Kiravu and my reviewers! It's Kiravu's insight and creativity that help me to mould this story into what it is (compare earlier chapters to the later ones, and you'll understand what I mean), however the reviewers give me the desire to update quicker ;)**

**Anyway, this is the final chapter of this Arc. That doesn't mean you need to keep an eye out for another story published by me, though. The new Arc will simply start as 'Chapter 11' in this story.**

**I'm willing to bet that more than a few readers are starting to wonder what really happened between the prominent clans in our beloved Konoha. And what the heck is up with Itatchi and Tatsuko being engaged! That one must have hit you like a bolt of lightning from clear skies. Does that mean that there are more than a few cannon facts have been changed? Meh, maybe, maybe not. This is not AU though, simply because I define AU (alternate universe) to mean that EVERYTHING is different. That is certainly not the case here, I just creatively interpret the cannon facts and see them as I deem them needing to be seen.  
The only thing you need to worry about, is that this chapter is shorter than my normal minimum (by nearly 1500 words), but it says everything I want it to say. **

**Chapter 1 of the following Arc, 5 Ninja Academy Students, should be released fairly soon. Simply because I have been plotting it for quite some time. It will likely be longer than this Arc, but that depends on how much needs to be written for it to be complete. Sorry, but I do not believe that I, as the writer, have the right to decline valuable pieces from an Arc simply because of a quota. If it needs to be said, it should be said. End of story.**


	11. Arc2: Student 1, ghostly present

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students**_

_**It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?**_

_**All **__**underlined**____**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

"Please don't leave me..." She cried. "Don't go!" She was covered in his blood, gazing in absolute horror into his eyes. How could this happen? Who could do this? Wasn't he the strongest person alive? Why?

The answers never came. What made it worse, was that the life was quickly fading from his eyes... He was dying in her arms.

"Please, you said you would always be there! You said that you would dance with me on my birthday! YOU PROMISED!" He was no longer responding, not even with a twinkle in his eyes. She passed her hand across his cheek, and briefly through his silver hair. "It's okay... he's just sleeping." She told herself, feeling the warmth of life within him. She looked worriedly into his eyes again, which stared back lifelessly. She didn't understand it.

Suddenly the night faded and the sun rose. She stood in a black kimono, staring at his still sleeping form. Everyone around her was crying. Only, she didn't know any of them. Strangers, all of them. Having never spent any time away from her family's temple, she knew almost no one she was not related to.

"Senju-_sama_, please accept out deepest condolences." They kept telling her. She didn't understand why they were saying that, he was only sleeping. He would open his eyes any minute now and tell them to stop fawning over her. Everything would be fine, but these people should really leave. He didn't like a lot of people around him while he was sleeping.

"Senju-_sama_, are you all right?" They asked her again. She was getting tired of the same questions being repeated over and over.

Everything was annoying her, but it was all right. '_They won't be here long._' She told herself over and over again. She continued to tell them to leave because he was resting, but no one listened. They only looked at her, their gaze full of sadness. Then they put him to lay down in a funny looking bed, which had walls on all sides. He fit snugly, but only just. _'How can he breath like that? He'll wake up even more tired than he has been these last nights._'

"Stop that! He doesn't like being closed in like that! How will he breathe!" She shouted, but they wouldn't listen. "Are you people stupid? You're going to kill him!" She was now visibly upset. She ran at the two putting a wooden cover over his odd bed, she was going to force them to back away!

She never got the chance. Two pairs of arms grabbed her gently, but firmly, holding her at bay. "STOP IT!" She cried, tears finally spilling out. She realised now that he was not in a bed, but a box. And they were hammering it shut, placing funny scribblings all around it. "STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!" She begged, she screamed, she kicked, she bit... Anything she could try, she did.

Then they picked up the box and brought it to a hole in the ground. She now recognised the place, it was where she came to visit her mommy and her granddaddy. He always talked about them, always told her to believe in them, to talk to them. So she did. "Mommy! Make them stop! They want to trap daddy here just like they trapped you! Make them stop!" The two men started throwing dirt on the box, slowly covering her daddy. She called to him, begged for him. But they just wouldn't stop.

Eventually the hole was filled, making it hard to believe that a hole was there at all. They put a stone to mark the spot. On that stone she saw her family crest, the Yukikami crest. Sure, she was born a Senju... but that was just a name to her; in her heart, she would always be a Yukikami.

Finally, most of them left. Only an old man, who she knew as a friend of her daddy's, a boy with silvery white hair, just like daddy, and a girl with bright red hair. She was glad they were gone! Now she could get him out of there! She jumped on the spot and started tearing away the grass, trying to get to him before it was too late.

"Tatsuko..." A voice called to her. She ignored it, clawing her blond hair away from her eyer to see what she was doing. "He's gone, Tatsuko-_chan_."

"Don't say that! Don't you dare say that!" She cried loudly. She was frantic now, her breathing was beyond ragged. Even her voice seemed mutated; it was far too high pitched to really be hers. No matter how hard she tried though, the ground wouldn't give way.

"_Kami-sama_! HELP ME!" She cried out. Her heart was in her throat, throbbing away painfully, while her stomach was doing laps in her gut. She was going to be sick, and she didn't care. If it brought him back, she would endure anything. He was all she had left. Then another pair of arms grabbed her, not trying to stop her... just to hold her. She fought back again, not wanting anyone but her daddy to hold her like that. But he wouldn't let her go.

"It's all right, child. Just let it out." He instructed her. Before she could even argue, tears blurred her vision. She cried, long drawn out sobs. It was hard to tell the end of one and the beginning of the next. Her chest hurt, burned even. Slowly, the scene dimmed from its deformed shapes and Gothic colours... to pure, unending darkness.

* * *

Slowly, the darkness faded. Too bad the burning in her chest and eyes didn't fade with it. Even after fourteen months and eight days, her heart still ached every time she thought about that day. Senju Tatsuko opened her eyes to see her bedroom, if dimmed due to the late (or early) hour.

"Bad dream?" A calming voice asked her, over to her left. There he sat, exactly where he always sat at this hour.

"Is there any other kind?" She asked dejectedly. Even in the low light, she could see his eyes soften at her words.

"Wanna talk about it?" Came the famous question.

"Can you bring him back?" Their eyes met.

"If I could you kn-"

"But you can't." She stated blankly. Her voice was void of any emotion, but her eyes were haunted.

'_She's used to the dreams... too used to them._' Hikaru reminded himself morosely.

"Do you ever get tired of dreaming about his death?" He asked, knowing what she was going through all too well.

"At least I get to see him again." She choked back a sob, refusing to cry again.

"It'll be light soon, might as well try to get some sleep." What else was there to say? I'm sorry you had to watch _Tou-chan_ die? I'm sorry about your clan? If only they weren't slaughtered? No, words would help no one at this point.

* * *

Morning came eventually, it always does. However, as three students made their way to the academy, the one thing that they hated about their morning 'jaunts' arrived...

The mobs.

"What do we do?" Hikaru asked, taking a defensive position in front of Yuuna. Without blinking, Tatsuko put her left hand up, her palm facing away from him. Her thumb was tucked neatly against her palm, hidden from view, her other fingers spread apart with her middle finger bent comfortably and pointing at the crowd.

Hikaru nodded, needing no further instruction. Yuuna climbed onto his back and the trio split into two alleys, about twenty metres away from the crowd.

Naturally, all present saw their targets split up, and they followed suit. They ran as fast as they could, trying to catch up with the three youths. However, by the time they even reached the entrance to the alleys, there was already no sign of anyone ever having recently passed through.

Disappointed, but not deterred, they simply switched targets. The Uzumaki-_gaki _was usually late, so they always tried to get the trio first.

* * *

As the three chronic early birds arrived in their homeroom, they noticed Iruka was already correcting yesterday's test on 'the history of _kunai_'. They took their usual seats - front row, all the way to the left of the class, near the window.

'_As always, they're the first to arrive, and they never utter a word until spoken to._' Iruka mused, barely looking up from the papers he had just finished correcting. '_I half hoped that they would be a bit more sociable after the Ninja-tag games last week. I mean, sure, they utterly dominated their class. Well, Hikaru did, but he seems to be on friendlier terms with Kiba._'

"Good morning." Iruka finally greeted them, having given up hope that they would greet him first.

"_Ohaiyou, sensei_." The trio replied in perfect unison.

"Are you guys ready for the electives that start today?" He - once again - tried to start a conversation with them, only to have two of them turn to Tatsuko to answer.

"_Hai_, _sensei_. I am really looking forward to the basic medical class. I'm sure they are looking forward to their respective classes as well."

"What classes will you two be taking?" The instructor asked again, hoping to get them to open their mouths for something other than a yawn in his class, or one of Hikaru's opportunities to mouth off.

"Hikaru decided to go for the extra _taijutsu _class, and Yuuna opted for the 'cooking on missions' class."

'_The three classes that offer a jutsu to all participants? Interesting._' He figured they would not choose something that wasn't absolutely beneficial to them. Or, Tatsuko wouldn't let them, who knew. "Impressive choices. To be honest, I half expected the three of you to take the same class together."

Silence. The only evidence that she'd heard him at all was a patient smile. Iruka was slightly taken back once again. '_If they were seasoned shinobi I would understand what they are doing. Ninja tactic 32: never reveal more than you want the enemy to know._' Even allies could inadvertently reveal sensitive information, so the less they knew, the better.

Again, that would make sense if they were seasoned _shinobi_. These were academy students! All around eleven years old. Iruka knew they were well informed of the Shinobi Rules of Conduct and the Ninja Tactics, he'd given the lectures and corrected their tests on them. Interestingly, their scores were never the best, or the worst. They were always somewhere in the middle.

One by one, the rest of the class were arriving. With the last being Uzumaki Naruto. He always looked like he had just run a mile, and usually had some kind of scuff marks on his clothes. The other instructors never cared enough to really ask, but Iruka was different. Too bad Naruto never gave him a straight answer. There was always a story about a cat, or some such nonsense.

'_I guess I'll ask him about it later, at IchiRaku's. He probably doesn't want to talk about it in front of others._'

At any rate, it was time to collect the homework and to begin his first lecture. They all had electives coming up within the hour.

* * *

"I swear, if guys ever figure out what we have to do in this class, they'll flock to it!" Ino griped. She was blushing from head to toe, and was obviously flustered.

"_A-ano_... I'm k-kind of h-happy th-they don't kn-know." Hinata was just as flustered, but was much less troubled by it, for some reason.

"If you two don't start practicing, then you will have to stay after school to make up for it!" The nurse announced, chastising the two girls. They both looked down at their objectives: a classmate had 'fainted', and they had to check for a pulse, breathing and administer CPR. Everything was already done... now came the awkward part...

"I guess it doesn't count as k-kissing, right Hinata?" It was getting hard to tell what was going through the girl's head, but she was clearly nervous about something.

Hinata didn't answer. She was focusing on her patient, Tatsuko. Although it was weird, it was simply part of the class to Hinata. Someday she might well need to save a teammate's life with this technique, so she put considerable effort into not thinking about what it looked like... though she was glad there was a plastic placed against the girl's lips to at least try to make it less... intimate.

True to the agreement they made, Tatsuko played the part of the victim flawlessly. She didn't make any sudden movements, or open her eyes in the least. No pranks or jokes whatsoever. Hinata couldn't be happier the situation was not made even more awkward by any of that.

Ino, on the other hand, was fidgeting. It was clear that she was wondering why they had done so well with the practice dummies earlier. The nurse was so impressed that they were graduated to live practice partners on the first day!

Naturally, the Yamanaka asked - well, begged really - to just move onto cleaning and dressing wounds, but the nurse would hear none of it. They had to complete things in the proper order. _It would have been more awkward if it was a boy they didn't like_, the mysterious nurse had said.

Ino took the plunge! Her lips placed against Sakura's and she blew gently before pulling back far too quickly. She was clearly not comfortable with this.

"Very good, now let's trade roles. Quickly please, there isn't a lot of time left."

This time things were even more awkward, if at all possible. Sakura couldn't stop blushing. She still maintained a very professional flow of actions taken, but the blush seemed to get more and more intense the further along she got.

About a metre away, Tatsuko was also flowing through her actions - with what could only be perceived as practised ease. She had clearly either seen this done before, or had to do it herself. Probably the latter. She wasn't nervous, blushing or bothered in the least... until she noticed something.

"Nurse, could we have a new Rescue Rebreather? We already used this one." With a nod, the nurse handed her a new one, but didn't offer one to the other pair practising. Which was odd in and of itself, but why would they have a class with only four female students? It wasn't exactly cost effective, but at least it offered a lot of one on one attention. Or was that the point?

Well, either way, Tatsuko was just following the class for the _jutsu _scroll and the access to the Konoha _Jutsu _Library that came along with it. Sure, she would be limited to E and D-class _jutsu_, but she would be able to research ANYTHING in that library she had access to!

The exact reason she advised Hikaru and Yuuna to take the classes they took. Not only was it valuable information and skills, but it opened the door to even more! And the only thing better than a kick ass _jutsu_, was more kick ass _jutsu _in the Yukikami hybrid's opinion.

"All right, girls, that's about all for one day. Now, since this class is actually shorter than the other electives, you have the rest of the day off." Tatsuko decided it was best to study who this nurse was, seeing that she was actually too exited about getting into the library to care about the details before.

'_Okay, she's no nurse. Not a chance in hell! Wearing that she must be a kunoichi though. She seems knowledgeable enough about what we had to learn..._' Tatsuko studied the woman from head to toe.

There was no name to work with, but the details we all unique enough. Full body mesh undergarment, pretty standard for Konoha _shinobi_. Beige miniskirt... okay, totally not standard! No shirt, no shorts under the skirt. The only other article of clothing the _kunoichi_wore was an army-green trench coat... Seriously! No bra either, which was pretty obvious since the mesh undergarment was meant to save you from kunai, not prying eyes. And purple hair, roughly pulled into a high, sloppy ponytail... This _kunoichi_was definitely not into caring what people thought about her sense of style!

'_If she studied medicine on any level, then I'm a three legged monkey!_'

"Ino, Sakura, may I have a word with you two before you go?" Since the other two were not asked, they simply took their leave, along with their things.

* * *

Just as Tatsuko and Hinata got outside, they noticed Yamashiro Aoba sitting on the swing under a tree not far away.

"Hey, Aoba-_sensei_!" Tatsuko called out to the man. He was either expecting them to get out at that time, or really had nothing better to do.

"Hey Tatsuko, Hinata-_sama_. Listen, _Imouto-chan_, I was wondering if you wanted to go into town with me. There was something I wanted to discuss with you, but I'm kinda hungry. Hinata-_sama _and her _yojinbo _are more than welcome to join us if they want." The patient smile smoke volumes to Tatsuko. She still hadn't gotten used to Aoba calling her by such a familial name, but guessed it was to show there was no interest in her in that way; which she was openly glad for. She still wasn't sure how much she should trust the man, but she certainly wasn't going to abandon Kiba for him!

She blushed at the thought.

"As tempting as the offer is, Yamashiro-_san_, I'm afraid that Hinata-_sama _is due back at the compound already. Hiashi-_dono _instructed me to bring her home as soon as possible."

After some pleasantries were exchanged and Tatsuko reminded her classmate that she would pass by later to practice - as per instruction of the... instructor - Aoba and Tatsuko were on their way. They mostly took their time, with Aoba doing all of the talking.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Tatsuko asked when they finally sat down to eat. It wasn't that she minded the small talk, or even so much talking to him... she just hated secrets. In the world of the shinobi, secrets were all to often lethal.

"Two things." Aoba began, seemingly reading the menu. "First off, I spoke to the head of Interrogation about allowing you an introductory tour. He was pretty hesitant at first, but I managed to convince him."

"By telling him all about me, right?" She asked bitterly. It was a sin already committed in her head, but the betrayal that had yet to come already stung.

"No, by refusing to tell him anything at all actually. If there's one thing we hate in our department, it's not knowing something." He partly joked. "Why else would any of us train so hard to find out everything we could while offering nothing in return?" If he noticed anything about her lack of trust, he didn't let it show.

Tatsuko suddenly found her menu so interesting that it was hard to keep her eyes off it; which was unfortunately upside down.

"So anyway, he agreed that you could come by sometime this week, if you're up for it. But, before we even get into that more, there is a more important thing I needed to discuss with you." The waitress came by asking if they were ready to order. He seemed to mumble something, according to Tatsuko at least.

She couldn't even figure out her own thoughts anymore. She had been fighting back as hard as she could to keep him at a comfortable emotional distance, but he was always gaining ground. The ironic part was that she often refused to acknowledge that at best! At worst, she would try to force him back with insults, accusations... and at one point a kunai!

Even then he remained unfazed! He just dodged and parried, patiently waiting for her to run out of steam. When she finally did, he smiled at her. Not a lecherous smile, like some men loved giving her when they thought she wasn't looking. Not a boastful smile because she failed to hurt him even once. Nothing like that.

He smile like a _sensei _would smile when he was proud of his student's progress. Then, he took his time and pointed out where she could improve even more. And in reply to her disbelieving gaze, he even asked her to do it again, but this time thinking about the pointers he had given her.

He never seemed to get mad at her. No matter how unreasonably she reacted, he would just smile that little smile of his and act like it didn't happen at all. Or worse yet, praise her, if she had shown anything that involved skill.

She just didn't understand it at all, and she hated that! People were vile, untrustworthy and traitorous. So why was he acting differently? There was no logical explanation that satisfied that question. Answered it, yes... but never satisfied it.

"Earth to Tatsuko!" Aoba waved his hand in front her face, trying to get her to snap out of... whatever had her so far away. Her eyes snapped back into focus and she jerked her head back, trying to assess the situation she found herself in.

'_Kuso! Now I'm losing focus! Keep it together; losing your focus can get you killed!_'

"Ah, there you are. Your tea will get cold if you keep spacing out like that." He explained. She didn't order tea. Or anything really. She didn't even notice the waitress leave, let alone come back with the order...

"So anyway, I was trying to tell you that I wanted to make a pair of shades for you. I know you've been shopping around to get a good pair, but the shades I make are simply a cut above the rest. Yuuna and Hikaru should be getting out from school in about an hour. So I figured we could take our time, maybe start looking for a new weapon for Yuuna too. Her fighting style really clashes with sharp edges."

"Why are you doing this?" Tasuko finally asked.

"Well, we've had lunch and dinner together since the games last week, so I knew what you were most likely to order. I figured you wouldn't mind since-"

"I mean helping us."

"Is there something wrong with that?" He asked innocently. She stared at him for a long moment. What was his game plan? What was he trying to achieve? Why was he... so nice? People aren't nice. People don't try to help you for just any reason, so there must have been something to gain for him! The question was, what?

"Don't play dumb, because we both know you aren't!" Tatsuko suddenly shouted.

"Perhaps you should ask me specific questions then. It might help us both to understand why we seem to have these fall outs so often." He spoke evenly again, seeming to make no effort at all to remain calm with her. _Chikushou_, he was frustrating her with that calm attitude!

"What are you trying to gain by playing friendly to three demons?" Her voice was cold, both in tone and in formality. Aoba knew this was the time to word his response carefully.

"Dunno about demons, can't say I'm too fond of them." He thought a bit longer. "But as for Hikaru, Yuuna and their _Nee-chan_... Well, I'm just being selfish by trying to being the adult I always hoped would save me."

Again she just sat there. She made no indication she was going to reply, or do much of anything, really. She just sat there, staring into her already cool tea.

"I doubt you would remember me, but I was in the Alley of Broken Dreams too for a while. Aunt Reimi had Raidou and me do most of the work around the place while she tended to the younger kids. At least, up until I made _chuunin_; then I was no longer allowed to stay."

"So you lost your parents that night?" Only those who were orphaned by the Kyuubi attack, or those traumatized by the attack and were already orphaned, were housed in the hole in the wall everyone call the Alley of Broken Dreams.

"No, I was one of the really unlucky ones that got drafted into the fight." He paused as a troubled look settled on his features. "When the Kyuubi attacked, he crushed the 'group home' I was in. Of the fifty-seven of us there that night, only two survived. Me... and Raidou."

Aoba took a long sip from the cup of cappuccino he ordered, shaking off the memories as they came. "So I understand more or less what you are going through."

* * *

/ _"So I understand more or less what you are going through."_ /

'_Could he? Could he really understand?_' Doubtful. She turned the page in the oversized book she was reading. '_Aha! There it is! I knew the release was that simple, but it was never described before. It's sad that no matter how complicated the seal, the release is always two classes lower._'

Before her was a very intricately explained release for her seal, or any complex seal really. Most people overlooked the sky blue slit tattoo on the lower portion of her face, and that's just how she liked it. The history behind it though was a long one.

Well, actually, not that long compared to some _jutsus_ and seals. Tobirama asked Hashirama's wife Mito to help him design a seal that would act as a spare _chakra _tank. Seeing that she was a _fuuinjutsu _specialist, even by Uzumaki standards, he knew she would not disappoint.

Nor did she! In fact, the seal worked too well! Seeing that Tobirama didn't really care if it hid the cleft in his chin, he had made the seal a good deal wider than the original sketch, and he let it trail down to just above his Adam's apple. The result was a damn near bottomless pit for a tank!

The only drawback was that you had to fill it! Then there was monitoring how full it was - even though it ran deep, bottomless does not exist. So the seal would change colours based on not only the chakra type it was filled with, but the volume of it as well. Being the paranoid bastard he was, _Kami-sama_ bless his heart, he always kept it at 95% full, which turns it red. Then, as his need of it rose, so did the number of seals he placed on himself. In the end, he had three on his face - which would later become his trait markings, like the fang tattoos of the Inuzuka clan - four on his chest, and another two on each shoulder blade.

The drawback was that it burned like hell when it was nearly full, which was very distracting. And each seal took almost a week to fill properly! The results spoke for themselves though.

'_Well, I may not have the clan to guide me, but at least I have your writings to help me along the way, Great-grandfather._'

Truly, this is why she wanted access to the Library: the privacy. Well, that and the easy explanation as to where she learned something new. Even though her seal was an S-class _fuuinjutsu_- a parting gift her _Okaa-sama_ had given her before her tragic passing - no one really thought it was anything special. Some asked if it was a tattoo, most thought it was a birthmark. So asking someone about it was likely to draw unwanted attention to the situation.

Which, unfortunately lead to the fix she found herself in. If she trained herself in the release mechanism of her seal, then the colour of her mark will fluctuate. Still, it would give her a major edge over anyone that tries something stupid... but seeing she was still stuck in the Academy, would it be worth it?

'_Well, I could always see how long it takes for me to regain this exact shade of blue. I could maybe blame it on being sick?_' That would never work. Everyone that knew her, knew she was never sick...

'_No point in knowing how to use this then. What about-_' She paused, reading something seemingly vital. '_No, this says specifically that each seal can only contain one element or completely neutral chakra. Any mixtures might cause the whole seal to explode. Let's avoid that, shall we?_'

Well, the only thing left to do is wait now. Something was bound to happen soon; and given how well she knew the citizens of Konoha, it wasn't going to be nice.

_**End Chapter 11**_

* * *

**A/N: My sincerest apologies that I am so late with this chapter. Life has just been hectic, I guess. Anyway, Chapter 12 will not likely take this long to post. I was planning on posting this Arc in double chapters - which is still mostly the case - but I don't want to deprive my loyal readers if I can avoid it.**

**Next time: First Student, Haunted Past.**

**_Gaki_- Brat**

**Rescue Rebreather - An aid in CPR. It is basically a piece of plastic that covers the victim's lips and goes partway into their mouth. It is designed to only allow one-way traffic, so the victim cannot breathe, spit or vomit into your mouth. Very handy to have!**

**_Fuuinjutsu_- Sealing _jutsu_.**

**If I need to explain that Hinata's '_ano_' is like 'um', 'well' or 'that is to say' – so just a way to stall from actually saying anything - then you people need to watch Hinata more closely!**


	12. Arc2: Student 1, haunted past

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students**_

_**It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Flashback Chapter, Tatsuko's POV~**

"Tsu-_chan_, do you want me to brush back your hair for you?" _Tou-chan_ asked. I had just gotten out of the _furo_, which was obvious since my hair was still fairly damp.

"Yes please!" I smiled brightly at him. I sat on his lap, turning my back to him to make his job easier. He brushed slowly, trying not to pull through my hair too hard. He knew I was never crazy about brushing my hair. If it wasn't for _Tou-chan_ asking, or it didn't directly affect my ballet, music or training with _Tou-chan_, it likely would never get done at all. Still, it gave me some time every morning and evening... just me and _Tou-chan_.

"You know, my _genin _team should be coming over soon. I was hoping that you and Hikaru would join us in our training."

"Oh, so you wanna show off your tomboy daughter and good-at-everything son?" I teased him.

"I have a daughter? I always thought you were just girly." He teased back. I could hear him trying not to laugh. We were always like this, verbal sparring. _Tou-chan_ always said: '_If you had nothing but good memories of people trying to tease you, you could never be taunted into a fight by it._' Whatever that means. I think it's fun that I get to tease him!

"Oh well, I know you love me anyway. So I'm just gonna pretend you're happy about that." I turned my head to the side so he could see me sticking out my tongue at him. "And since when do you call me Tsu-_chan_?"

"Dunno. It's short enough to use during training. Better than tripping up over all the vowels in your full name." He gently pulled my head straight, mumbling something about me making his job more difficult by resisting.

"Gomen, _Ha-ha_." I mumbled under my breath. '_Besides, I like my name. Yukikami Tatsuko, I like being called that._'

"Tsu-_chan_, if you keep teasing me, one of these days I'm going to shave your hair clean off." He threatened playfully.

"Well, if you keep ripping my hair out one by one, I'm gonna be bald soon anyways!" I complained again.

"Woe is me. Why do I have to get the only six year old girl in Konoha that hates looking pretty?" He laughed, finally twisting and wrapping my hair into two low buns, held in place by chakra wire.

"I love to look pretty when I am dancing or practising my flute, but looking pretty right before training with you is a waste of time!"

"A practical girl? How'd that happen? Anyway, let's wait outside for my genin, okay?"

* * *

"Kohaku Yasei. Kitsunaga Kenta. Uchiha Itatchi. The three of you were assigned to my team, do you know why?" Tou-chan asked, dripping killing intent by the gallon. The three new genin stood at attention; not just for honouring the man, but fear of him.

"Anyone?" I could see the answers formulate in their eyes, but only one of them seem capable of speech.

"Because we are the best of our year. We are therefore assigned the best possible _jounin_." The only indication Uchiha was even nervous was the bead of sweat that was rolling down the side of his face.

"WRONG!" The killing intent skyrocketed. No one dared to make another peep. I noticed that their hearts skipped a few beats due to the stress of the situation. _Tou-chan_ can be scary sometimes.

"You are here, because you need the most work." He paced around them in slow, deliberate circles. "The most work, because the advanced classes you each took in the Academy aren't worth shit anywhere else. The most work because you each have an ego the size of Konoha, if not the _Hi no Kuni_. The most work, because you three have the most potential." _Tou-chan_ let that settle into their minds, still slowly pacing.

"Just so you know, my _gaki_will be training with you. They will be the ones that help me straighten you out. You are not to underestimate them for their size or their age. You three should understand better than anyone that size and skill are not the same thing."

"Tsu, I want you to pick one of them to spar with. _Taijutsu_only, no fatal injuries." He instructed. So that's why he came up with a nickname for me. Well, it would make sense with Uchiha here. If they think they could ever force me to like any of those pretentious bastards...!

"This one." I nodded at the evil incarnate himself. Before even giving him the chance to doubt me, I took out my fans without unfolding them. They look like mini batons, so it was unlikely he would even guess what they were.

"Tatsuhi-_sensei_, I do not thi-"

"Uchiha, you can think after you earn my permission to. She chose you, so step forward or take your beating where you stand. The other two lackeys can take a healthy few steps back any time they're ready."

"Again, sensei I don-"

"Begin!" I needed no more permission than that.

I lunged for him in a flurry of attacks. The first attack that landed was a jab into the hollow in the back of his right knee with the blunt tip of my right fan, followed immediately by a glancing rap with the edge of my left fan. I followed through on the horizontal spin I had committed to, hoping to get in enough hits to his leg to impair his movement. This was a personal taijutsu move I developed after combining the ballet class moves, this one was the forward jump version of a simple stand and twist. Gotta love the basics!

Given the height difference - the top of my head barely reached his waist - I knew I had both an advantage and disadvantage over him. The advantage being I was a small - and therefore - difficult target. The disadvantage? I felt like a Chiwawa biting at his ankles.

He dropped to his knee wincing in pain; the shock in his eyes were more than obvious. More importantly, the message his eyes conveyed after the initial shock subsided: it is on!

He dashed at me swinging his arms wide, trying to lure me with a roundhouse punch to set me up for a sucker punch. '_Who does he think he's messing with?_' I spun on my left heel, slamming the back of my right foot in the back of the same weakened knee, sending him to his knees once again. Then I flickered out of sight, appearing behind him with one fan placed firmly against his throat, and the other placed in stabbing position above his liver from behind.

"You're dead." I whispered into his ear, then lightly kicked him forward.

"Tsu, let me see your eyes." _Tou-chan_ said evenly. I turned away from him, knowing that I was going to get it for sure. "**Now**, young lady." He demanded with more of an edge in his tone.

Even though I activated my _doujutsu _unconsciously, I knew it wouldn't matter. The rules set were clear. I turned to him, with my eyes downcast.

He motioned for me to come closer. '_Dammit, why didn't I pick the amber coloured one? Well, this is what I get for letting my emotions cloud my judgement. I deserve whatever Tou-chan gives me._'

As I walked up to him, I could see Uchiha limping back to his teammates. He was obviously favouring the leg, but he made no complaint or indication he was even vaguely upset.

Daddy squatted just as I took the last step to stand in front of him. Gently, he pushed my chin up with one finger so our eyes could meet. I could see my own eyes reflecting in his. I had never looked at my _Hyohiryugan _in the mirror before, so I really didn't know what to expect. The pink in my eyes were completely gone, leaving a jade green with gold highlights. My pupil also became elongated, like a slit... it was odd really, but strangely appropriate.

The next thing I noticed was the emotions playing across _Tou-chan_'s eyes. Eyes are always the most expressive part of a person's face; and _Tou-chan_ was no exception. He was disappointed in me.

"Three sprints around Konoha, one to warm up, and one to cool down." He ordered coldly. That meant five laps in total. Harsh, but not unexpected. When he was in '_sensei _mode' favouritism didn't exist, family bonds disappeared. He was _Kami _and everything else had to bow to his will. No exceptions. "And take Hikaru with you, since I specifically told him to keep an eye on his mother."

I heard Karu cursing something fiercely from the tree he had hidden himself in. He was far enough away for me to not notice him, but _Tou-chan_ was never one to be fooled so easily.

"Come on, Karu, let's get going!" I called out to him, not bothering to notice the shock and awe on the _genin__s_' faces.

* * *

Four and a half hours later - seeing that we had to take our time slowly warming up, then slowly cooling down - we were in our back yard again. _Tou-chan_ was still running his _genin_ragged, seeing that they were all sweating profusely and none of them were breathing normally.

Karu and I quickly announced to _Tou-chan_ that we were done with our laps, knowing that if we hesitated in the least he would make us run more laps.

"Very good. Now, I expect both of you to sit there quietly while I run through the cool down stretches with these three." He pointed at a spot in the shade of a tree, not even taking his ever watchful eyes off the trio in front of him. "I expect you both already did your cool down stretches." That was his way of reminding us to do something. He wouldn't ask, he would state what we should have already done. That was your one chance to do it without his... correction.

I sat down, relaxing my muscles carefully and slowly. Even though I didn't do anything too strenuous, seeing that _Tou-chan_ usually trained Karu and me much harder, I refused to disobey if I had a choice. So instead I just studied the the trio.

Kitsunaga Kenta was the shortest of the three. His neatly combed and styled coppery hair and baby blue eyes struck me as a little odd. His face looked almost pinched together, and he had no eyebrows at all. He was simply a jigsaw puzzle that a two year old put together.

However, even in his acute fatigue, he had a warmth about him. I could tell almost immediately that he was a good person to have around. But the way too tight clothes had to go! There was no way I would train with him if he didn't dress a little better than that. '_Who the hell wears neon orange and lime green!_' I was going to have to have a LONG talk with which ever female approved his wardrobe!

The other one though... He was... odd. What was his name? Kohaku... Yasei? Wild Amber? Well, the amber part I understood. It matched his skin tone perfectly. He looked like he spent the last few weeks building up a perfect tan, but I doubted he had the time. His hair was jet black and combed tightly into a high ponytail, but the loose hair at the back seemed to fight gravity with all its might. It also poofed out, making it look like his could hide his whole head in there! It looked a little funny, to be honest.

The serious look on his face made up for it, along with the slightly bushy eyebrows and the silver eyes just below them. What stood out most was the nose. With the other odd features, I expected to find something wrong with everything I saw, but his nose was perfect, elongated... almost elegant. He seemed to have strong lips too, and a soft jawline with a sharp chin.

'_This one can dress!_' He wore a tight, sleeveless, white kimono shirt over a loose fitting, black _hakama_. On his left arm, right in the middle, he proudly wore a tattoo. I don't know how I knew he wore it proudly, but it just stuck out so much that he must have been proud of it. It was a yin and yang symbol, but separated - so it looked like two separate _tomoe _- both completely black and the pair was encircled twice.

Even though he was the tallest of the bunch, he looked wiry. He also wore two curved swords tied to his waist, both on his left side; a _daisho _combo by the looks of it. '_A samurai training to be a shinobi? How odd could you get?_'

I could honestly say that I had never seen anyone even remotely like him. '_Well, not like it matters. If he can hold his own against Tou-chan's suicide training, then he is all right in my book!_'

Uchiha-_teme - _of course - didn't count in that statement. He would have to spit gold, cry diamonds and bleed rubies if he even wanted me to talk to him... that didn't even include me being nice.

I didn't even give him the time of day to study him. The only thing I notice at all, which was during our spar/scuffle, was that he had what must have been two birthmarks. Two line that started between each eye and his nose and slanted outwards. It made him look like a weasel. Oh sweet irony!

* * *

"All right, now that everyone is warmed up, we will start with a good spar. Yasei and Tsu, you two can spar over there." _Tou-chan_ pointed to a spot near the pond for us. "Hikaru and Kenta, over there." He pointed at a open, flat area near the far wall of the yard. "And Itatchi will spar with me. I expect that everyone knows how to spar without killing or injuring their opponent. If at any point I have to step in, the offending party will be **severely **punished. Any questions?" Who would ever question him? He explained too clearly to misunderstand, and he made it clear that he was not someone to second guess.

Yasei and I made our way over to out designated area. "What do you say we start off with simple hand to hand and see where we go from there?" He offered. Clearly he was not going to make the same mistake as his teammate by underestimating me. Well, either that or he wanted to see if I was any good without my _tessen_.

"Sounds good." I assumed a loose stance, sizing up how bad a disadvantage I had this time. The top of my head reached about mid thigh... what were they feeding these people? Growth hormones? This guy was supposedly around eleven years old - being allowed to graduate early with his teammates - but he was as tall as _Tou-chan;_ who was by no means short!

Yasei dropped on his right knee, clapping his hands in front of him. He kept his hands about half a metre in front of him and perfectly covering my view of his nose. I could feel the intensity of his gaze on me, observing every move and studying it.

'_Crouching Tiger, Praying Mantis style? NICE!_' I mentally applauded him. It was a style designed to completely negate a shorter opponent's advantage, while highlighting longer limbs and therefore longer reach. It was also impossible to attack his knees without reprisal; he was obviously studying me the other day when I banged up Uchiha's knee. He was not going to be a pushover!

Seeing that it would be impossible for him to attack, I decided to start things off. I lunged for him, knowing that he was going to counter with a punch. Then he sprang his first trap.

He launched himself at me, using his coiled up muscles and posture like a spring board, then somersaulted trying to hammer his heel in my skull. I dodged his attack as broadly as I could, seeing that his two arms looked ready to pounce on me if I got too close.

Just as he was landing, I launched a kick aimed to land between his shoulder blades. Which he somehow anticipated? He rolled forward and caught my foot at the ankle between his ankles!

'_Son of a-_'

Before I could even finish the though he launched me into the air, ankle first! '_This guy is good! I like him!_'

* * *

What transpired later that night was perhaps the most memorable event I would ever have the pleasure of remembering. _Tou-chan_ was in his storyteller mood again, but this time he wanted to talk about four of his favourite people in the world: Tsume, Kuromaru, Minato and Jiraiya... his Team 9 as a _genin_. Unfortunately, Uchiha-_teme_was still there to hear it too, but I wouldn't let that spoil it for me.

Stories flowed from his lips like drops of rain in a hurricane. Their missions together, training, just horsing around... anything that came to mind, Tou-chan regaled. There seemed to be no preference in regard to his old team mates, his _sensei_or any particular situation he wanted to describe. They just case out as he remembered them.

I was especially awe struck, having never heard a peep about his old team before. Only to have that overwhelming emotion gobsmacked to learn that Namikaze Minato, Konoha's Yellow Flash... the _Yondaime Hokage_ was on his team! True, I have more of a fetish for the _Nidaime_, but even Great-Grandfather paled in comparison to the _Yondaime_!

What's more, after another flask of sake - his story mood's best friend - it turned out that he was well acquainted with every legendary figure from the Third Shinobi War!

To say that he had my undivided attention was like saying... '_What was I going to say again? Nevermind! This is almost too good to be true!_' My entire universe was centred on him; a stark contrast to him being the world I live in and the air I breathe.

Story after story, legend after legend... there seemed to be no singular name I was familiar with he did not mention - in passing at least. The way Hatake Sakumo strolled into Suna during the Third Sinobi War and warned them to 'shut their traps, or else' made me laugh so hard I thought I was going to break something. That he walked out unscathed earned his clan quite a few bad-ass points in my opinion. Not to mention the seven and a half metre long wolf summon he was riding at the time!

As time passed, his stories became more and more intense - that could have something to do with the pile of empty sake flasks though - until at last... The Kyuubi attack...

"I wasn't there to fight against the beast, but the stories I hear... oooooohhh..." He paused, drinking straight from the flask that time. "The _Kyuubi no Youko_, the king of the _Bijuu_. Those who fear him, do so rightly! In size alone he dwarfed the Hokage Tower! And those damn tails of his never seemed to stop thrashing about! And his eyes... Those Sharingan eyes really pissed off the Shinobi that were there to fight him! Everyone blamed the Uchiha for the attack... Well, those not traumatized by it at least. Only a handful of shinobi could stomach thinking about what happened... let alone the pattern of his eyes." The focal point of our gathering immediately became the now wide eyed Uchiha.

That was the reason I would never forget that night... The night I fully understood how evil the Uchiha clan was... the night that Uchiha Itachi swore to all the heavens that he would get to the bottom of that claim!

"_Sensei_, I dare not accuse you of lying, but please allow me to question the clan elders on the matter." Uchiha said in a solemn tone.

"Why? So you can brag about costing me my best friend? Minato sacrificed everything that night to protect Konoha, and not so much as one Uchiha could even claim to have fought against the beast!" Tou-chan's tone of voice was barely above freezing at that point. Normally this would prompt me to warn everyone that didn't know better that this meant he was pissed off... normally.

"_Sensei_, I would never speak of such matters, let alone brag about them. _Yondaime_-_sama _is in fact my idol, so why should I wish to be involved in a situation that cost him anything?" Itachi spoke calmly, evenly.

"Feh, aren't you one of **them**?" _Tou-chan_ spat, refusing to speak that name again. "How do you expect me to-"

"_Sensei_, I assure you I had no knowledge of anything of the sort. I was barely six years old at the time, and frankly I was babysitting my little brother. I assumed my parents were out on the battlefield with the rest of Konoha."

"You don't know anything." I groused. Truthfully, I had hated that boy's clan almost as long as I have been alive. I say almost, because it took me a few months to understand how to hate them.

"Yukikami-_san_, please allow m-"

"_Tou_-_chan_, I'm going to bed. Please excuse me." Maybe it doesn't make sense; maybe I'm just overreacting... but the fact that he was being respectful to me, not knowing that I am both Yukikami **and**Senju kinda pissed me off.

* * *

A few weeks later, during training, _Tou-chan_ decided to partner me with... _him_. I don't know what possessed him, but I was not in any position to argue either.

"You know, if you keep thinking of me as '_sensei's daughter_' I'm going to keep hurting you." I told him... eventually. I think it was after I kicked him directly in his kneecap though.

I heard a few grunts and complaints flowing out of his mouth, as he nursed his umpteenth soon to be bruise. "If this repays what my clan owes you, even a little... it's worth it."

"If you have something to say, then say it; I've outgrown puzzles." I nonplussed.

"_Sensei _told me about your clan..." From perplexing, to perplexed... Sweet irony, how I hate thee!

"Congratulations, you had a tour of the Yukikami clan, big wop." I deadpanned, wondering why he was being so freaking nice to me. I hate people who are nice for no reason; they always have a hidden angle.

"That's not quite what I meant, Senju-_hime_." Well, there's the reason! I could feel the blood freezing in my veins the second I understood what he truly meant.

"You're mother has a big mouth." I stated coldly. If _Tou-chan_ told him about me, then I was going to be a renowned cartographer. My map reading sucks, just so you know.

"What makes you-"

"Anyone else in your clan knowing about me would have killed me a long time ago."

"Why must you-"

"Save it, Uchiwa." He was silent, but it wasn't hard to tell that he still had a lot to say. "You think you're doing the right thing by trying to be my friend, by accepting whatever hatred I throw at you... you're wrong. To me, you will always be the son of _Oka-sama_'s killer." I knew my voice was getting colder than I should allow, but I just didn't care.

"I know." Was all he said. He left without another word, not even asking for Tou-chan's leave.

"It's not his fault you know." A feminine voice whispered behind me. I didn't have to turn around to figure out who it was; though I did find it sad that she still managed to sneak up on me.

"Tell that to the childhood I should've had." I sniped.

"The jutsu used on you is not his fault either."

"Oh? And who's fault is it?" My voice was far too sweet for the venom I was spitting at her with my words.

"My husband's."

"Well that explains everything now doesn't it, Mikoto. I guess no one should suffer other than good ol' Fugaku, huh?" My eyes somehow snapped their focus on her, even though I don't remember turning around... or activating my _doujutsu_.

"When Itachi came to me, asking about the Kyuubi attack, I knew who's side he was on. I thought that you could appreciate that." She seems almost apologetic now, but her eyes are the same cold charcoal that await the smallest spark to light aflame. Luckily I can tell she's not lying to me, but should that change anything?

"Congratulations, your son's not a monster. Now say that about his father... your husband." She remained silent. "Now, unless you have something important to tell me..." I turned to walk back to the house, not waiting for a reply.

"If I could have stopped it-"

"SHOVE IT!" She jerked back like I slapped her, which I probably should have. "You are a member of that clan, just like _he _is. The clan that killed everything I should be proud of. The clan that stole everything from me... the clan that forced the _Yondaime_'s hand in deciding my fate before I was even born. And who gets to live with it?" Unknowingly, my hand was against my belly, above my navel.

Before anyone could reprimand me for my outbreak, I turned and walked into the house. I refused to sit around and wait for someone to say something - anything - that could upset any more that I already was.

* * *

As with all bad days, that day ended with me in the _furo_. My hair was thoroughly washed, my skin cleansed almost to the point of bleeding. I just wanted to scrape every inch of my skin until I forgot touching that... thing.

They say that strong emotion washes away all logic. I never fully understood that saying, until I met Itachi. Logically, it was easy to see he was no more at fault that I... Emotionally though...?

It was hard not to see his father in him. Birthmark aside, or whatever that weasely thing was on his face, he was his father's twin in looks. Well, no... not even in looks. He actually looks more like his mother. Is that something that should change how I feel?

Slowly the door slid open, revealing an old woman with weathered skin and a warm smile. A real smile, mind you; not one of those polite ones. Her white, pupil-less eyes twinkled at seeing me, as they always did.

"Good evening, _Obaa-chan_." I greeted politely, trying not to let any anger show in my tone of voice.

"I hear you've been giving your father's _genin _a hard time." She said, in lieu of a greeting.

'_I guess she decided to come over tonight... That could only mean that I'm in trouble. Just another burden put on me._' I thought morosely.

"I'm not upset with you, dear." How she always managed to read my mind will forever be beyond my ken. "I actually came in to join you. Unless you think you're getting to old to be seen with an old fossil like me?" She teased.

I didn't refuse her, or approve either. I guess I was just too tired to care either way. Minutes of silence ensued. The only sounds that assailed my peace of mind, was the soft splashes when she rinsed the soap off her self.

"Why don't you tell me what's troubling you, dear? It might help." She offered, putting the rinsing bowl back where it belonged. Of course, this was only after drying it out properly and inspecting it for any imperfections. She was always a stickler for details.

"Don't wanna talk 'bout it." I groused unhappily. She gracefully stepped into the furo, purposefully sitting next to me.

"Now, now, is that anyway to treat your dear old grandmother?" She teased, smiling all the while.

"_Obaa-chan_, what will change if I talk about it?"

"Nothing really," She mused, her index finger tapping against her chin, "but you might just feel a little better anyway." She wrapped an arm around me, pulling me towards her.

"I don't want to feel better anymore... I just want to stop feeling. I want the pain in my chest to go away. I want the-"

"Shhh shhh shh shhh shhh." She noised, slowly wiping away the tears as they came. She wasn't telling me to be quiet, or telling me to stop crying; she just had this habit of trying to chase the tears away... At least, that's what she always told me.

"Can we try this again now?" _Obaa-chan_ asked. I had finally calmed down enough to stop crying, but every now and again a little hiccup would still escape.

"Nothing you don't alrea *hic* already know." I refused to sit up, or do anything that meant me letting her go really.

She gently pushed me back a bit, while tucking a finger under my chin and pulling my gaze up to meet hers. "Tell me anyway." She begged softly with her eyes.

No matter how old I get, or how much I think I am - or will - mature, the second she gives me the puppy eyes I can't deny her anything. The truly horrifying thing is, she does it without even really doing it.

"Itachi knows who I am." I summed it up.

"Yes, I know. He came to me shortly after Mikoto explained it to him." She confirmed my earlier suspicion. "... so?"

"What's stopping him from fin- *hic* -nishing the job?" My voice was just shy of a whisper.

_**End Chapter 12**_

* * *

**A/N: As always, lots of love going out to Kiravu! Love you girl! If she didn't beta my stories, I'd probably spout garbage half the time!**

**My sincerest apologies for the late update, life is just rough I guess.**

**Furo - Japanese styled hot tub. Used to bath regularly, so nothing special about it really. In contrast with an _onsen_, which is a public bathhouse, sometimes with pool like baths outside.**

**Ha-ha - another way to say mother, mommy, or female parent. Tatsuko is teasing her father with it.**

**Hi no Kuni - Fire Country**

**Tomoe - A comma. The reason I used the Japanese term is because there is so much more attached than the word. The tomoe is part of the Imperial Regalia, a jewel that represents benevolence. Which is used in so many family crests that it is a fairly common sight. As well, there are two tomoe in the Yin-Yang sign. That is how much it means to the Japanese ;)**

**Hakama - Traditional pants worn with _Gi_s, or Karate outfits. It is also worn by Kendo practitioners, the only real difference is the colour used.**

**Daisho - Literally 'long-short'. It refers to the dual Samurai swords, the _katana _(long) and the _wakizashi _(short). Sometimes a Samurai would have a _tanto _as well, but that is not the tradition.**

**Tessen - Fan(s), but not to be confused with Temari's battle fan. These are usually no longer than 12 inches, but usually around 8 inches long. They are almost always made of cast iron and are sometimes disguised as normal fans.**

**Yondaime - Literally 'Fourth', refers to the Fourth Hokage in this case.**

**Hime - Princess.**

**Obaa-chan - Grandmother. **


	13. Arc2: Student 2, Still waters in winter

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students**_

_**It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?**_

_**All **__**underlined**__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~ Hikaru's POV ~**

"Jeez, if you two walk any slower I'll simply leave you behind!" _Nee-chan_ warned. I don't know why she feels the need to rush to Yamashiro's apartment. So he promised her a pair of shades; wow. Let's all bow down to the all mighty accessorizer from hell.

"I mean it, Karu!" Came the second warning. Yuuna, of course, sped up to keep up, meaning I didn't even have the excuse that _Nee-chan_ was walking too fast. To quote the laziest man on the planet: _mendoukusei_.

"Yeah, yeah." I complained, hoping to have heard the last of it.

"Hi-_chan_, don't you wanna see what Aoba-_sensei_is going to make for her?" Yuuna asked, bubbly as ever. No, bubbly wasn't the right word... Effervescent? Yeah, that'll do. Oh well, whatever.

"You're just curious cause he was talking about something for you too."

"Yukikami Hikaru!" Shit. Whenever _Nee-chan_ has to say my whole name like that, I know I'm gonna get it. "Behave." She warned, pointing her index finger at me. Normally this would not really make anyone worry, but she was flexing her muscles menacingly... I dunno if you've ever been bitch slapped by a _kunoichi_before, but it ain't pretty.

What's worse... she's the type to double punish you. What's that mean? Well, simple. First you get the initial reaction; that's round one, usually quite physical and always painful. Then there is the plotting, evil - possibly possessed by the devil - genius lurking within her. That is round two.

And you never see it coming.

Sometimes she waits a few days, sometimes a few weeks. One time, I accidentally walked in on her in the _furo_, seriously I didn't know she was there. There were no signs to ward me off. Nothing. Did she care? NO!

After giving me two black eyes, she plotted and waited a whole year! She arranged a full week of torture. Anything you can imagine doing someone, was done.

Honey (I'm still thanking _Kami-sama_ it wasn't tar, or hot wax) and chicken feathers in the schoolyard, clothes missing in the middle of the afternoon while at the onsen, waking up in the Inuzuka kennels with what I could only assume was a hangover and one female _ninken_that was being a _little_too friendly.

That girl is evil!

The worst part was when I asked her why it was so severe. She just smiled at me - that innocent, '_I'd never hurt a fly_' smile too - then she told me: "You had a full year to apologize to me, and you didn't." Excuse me for hoping you simply forgot!

Well, I've been studying her ever since! I simply needed to know when I embarrassed her or otherwise pissed her off, and immediately apologize! And when I say immediate, I mean trampling over anything that stood in my way immediate! That old lady survived, just so you know!

Still, to be fair, I've seen what she does to other people that earn her ire. I'm eternally grateful that she merely pranks me. The drunk _chuunin_that attacked me for example, my shining example for how much _Nee-chan_ loves me and is willing to protect me from anyone. I was unconscious for round one, but Yuuna told me it was four broken limbs.

Round two? Oooooooohhhh.

Round two happen after the man was released from the hospital, mostly because we were under ANBU surveillance that long. The _chuunin_was released with instruction to take his painkillers three times a day and report for rehab twice a week. Well, his painkillers were replaced with coloured sugar from day one. After that, he was systematically driven mad. One day at a time.

How? Little things, like casting _genjutsu_ to help him confuse the salt and sugar every morning when he needed his coffee, or overestimate how broad any given stair was.

Last I heard, which was about a month ago, he spends his time drinking away his new found - and totally understandable - paranoia at a pub on the edge of town.

And people worry about Uzumaki? Ha! I'd much rather that softy being pissed at me!

But don't you dare think she is needlessly spiteful! The only reason she slowly tortured the man was because he damn near killed me and tried to get away with it; and I swear to _Kami-sama_ it was unprovoked!

"Karu, are you done narrating your life to what ever _Kami _is listening? Cause if you don't hurry up, you'll be sleeping outside tonight." Dammit! I know I wasn't mumbling to myself. How does she do that?

* * *

So how did I spend the rest of my afternoon? Well, watching paint dry would have been nicer. I was holed up in a cramp apartment, with my sister, my girl and some guy I couldn't care less about, while they talked about shades for hours on end. SHADES! Not even more than one pair. Nooooooo.

This should actually be considered a criminal offence! This is worse than the girls shopping all day and leaving me hold the bags. This is worse than being dragged into a salon! All I was allowed to do was silently seethe in a corner.

Why would I put up with that? Because I REALLY didn't want to piss my sister off, and nothing pisses her off more than ruining something that she is exited about!

Not that Yamashiro even figured out she was exited. That _aho_thinks she is still being indifferent to him. Hell, maybe she does too.

"So you use your shades as a focus during a jutsu?" Sorry, what did you say? I heard jutsu! What jutsu?

"Hai, the _Sanzeningaresu no jutsu_." The 'thousand scattering crows'? Lame!

"You summon crows?" Yuuna asked, the slightly (note sarcasm please) higher pitch in her voice meant she was interested in what ever it was.

"Not summon, craft. I make them using _kageton_." _Kageton_? He can use shadow release? I thought only the brainiest of the bunch ever figure out how to use _kageton_. Oh well, whatever.

"That is soooooo cooooool!" Yuuna swooned over the mere thought of the jutsu; she was really an addict. Even after considering her family fuuinjutsu, and whatever odd jutsu Nee-chan could scrounge up, Yuuna couldn't seem to ever satisfy that curiosity and hunger for more.

"All right, _jutsu_-junkie. Take a deep breath." I teased, taking a deep breath and looking at her expectantly. That earned me a playful swat on the shoulder.

"So you guys like new _jutsu_?" Aoba smirked, still tinkering with the current incarnation of aggravation. Never know what it's gonna be tomorrow, but for now it was safely in his hands, driving me up a wall.

Before Yuuna opens up a can of worms that even Nee-chan couldn't close, I'd better answer that. "No more than anyone else." A pair of shocked eyes stared at me in complete disbelief. Fine, see if I try to save you next time!

"So if I decided to teach you the kurogaresu no jutsu, you guys won't mind?" He wondered out loud, clearly aiming for a reaction. Well, Lambchop, what's your move now?

My gaze never fleeted from her face, trying to see what her real reaction was; she was exited, but worried. Great, that's one less resistance member in position to strike! Nee-chan on the other hand was a bit more predictable: she was thinking. What she was thinking is definitely not something I want to figure out - females just aren't meant to be understood by their gender counterparts.

"What's the catch?" She eventually asked. Thank Kami-sama that I am not alone in suspecting this man! Jeez, what was with Yuuna?

"Same as with the shade: nothing." He answered. Huh? Nothing? As in no catch? For not just the... things, but teaching us jutsu as well? Okay, you've just been graduated to super-spy! If you think you're getting into our circle that easy, you've got another thing coming, shit-stain!

"And we're supposed to believe that?"I asked, not even waiting for her approval. She glanced at me. Askance at first, but she quickly agreed with me and nodded nearly imperceptibly.

"Fine, don't." Was all he said, but the trap had already been lain.

I guess you could compare our current situation with rats watching the cheese attached to a trap. You know it's not friendly, but you are tempted anyway. Then there is Yuuna, who is slowly inching towards the trap. She does it cautiously enough, but the trap is still likely to kill her if given the chance.

"U-I-Ne - Kurogaresu no-jutsu." He spoke slowly and clearly, before a puff drew our attention to his hands. Perched atop his Rat seal, was a crude, rather sketchy crow that seem to stare at everything at the same time. It was a bit eerie. "There are two things to keep in mind for this jutsu. One is that you need to practice using Kageton before even attempting it; the other is that this is a very difficult, but handy, jutsu to learn. Kurogaresu no-jutsu is a high B-class jutsu because it is so complex, yet it is not very demanding on your chakra."

"Great, now we just need someone to teach us how to mould _kageton chakra_." I complained, not really believing it would go any further than that. Still, this... Yamashiro had me curious.

I may not be a genius like Tatsuko-_nee-chan_, but even I knew that you have to learn to convert neutral chakra into elemental chakra before you can attempt to learn elemental _jutsu_. _Tou-san_ taught me that. I miss him sometimes too, _Nee-chan_, but I'll be strong for you.

_Chikusho_, why'd I have to think about something like that right now?

"Well, it's a little cramped in here, but as soon as I finish tightening this last screw we can go down to the training grounds. I'll run you three through the basics." He didn't even look up from what he was doing. Somehow, I wish I could have seen his face when he said that. However, if his body language was anything to go off of, he was relaxed... still, he seemed slightly tense? Like he was anticipating something?

Since when were guys that damnably hard to read? He'd better not be one of those '_girl stuck in a guy's body_' types, or I'm gonna give him a free sex change operation!

"All right, you three. Time for us to rerun through the basics. I'll call off the seal, you tell me where to focus your chakra in addition to the handseal." Yamashiro-sensei stated. What was it, six hours after we'd started?

"_U_- Hare seal." He began.

"Heart." We knew it well enough, seeing that he made us focus on that one first. We had to sit completely still four almost an hour, just channelling our chakra from that blasted handseal to our heart. It was annoying, trifling and tedious, but he rocked for being that patient!

"_I_- Boar seal." He continued.

"Hara." To be honest, I was a bit worried about that one at first. Tou-san had me focus like that too for my basic suiton chakra honing exercises, so Nee-chan probably had to do that as well. I made sure to ask if it would affect that in any way, even though I half expected either no reply, or a snide and sarcastic one. But when he smiled and assured me that the worst it could possibly do is enhance any previous training, I was simply at a loss how to react.

"_Ne_- Rat seal." He finished.

"Brains." That one confused me at first. Why would you want to think like a rat? Luckily Yuuna asked that one, 'cause a certain blond individual would have laughed her little fanny off at me if I had asked.

_/ "It's not about thinking like a rat. It's more about using intelligence to enhance your shadow release skills. In spiritual terms, the rat can represent a shrewd analytical power. Trying every avenue available to you, then using the swiftest route to get the result you want. Just like a rat." Yamashiro explained. The three of us just started disbelievingly at him. __Rats are that smart?_

_"If you don't believe me, try catching a rat with your bare hands. It will do anything to get free. From biting or eating through your hand... to biting off its own limbs to get free. Their tactics are not the friendliest, but the results can't be argued with. The only way to catch a rat is to incapacitate it, or to kill it."_

_/_

"All right, now that you have been introduced to the basics, I want you to try moulding kage charka in your hands. Don't worry too much about the shape or consistency just yet, I just want to see you do it for now." It was the first time any of us had moulded that chakra type, so logically no one should have been able to do it, right? So imagine my surprise, and my mortification, when I was the only one that couldn't do it...

"Kuso..." I mumbled, biting back any further response. I didn't want them to think it was bugging me too much, 'cause really I was happy for them. I would simply have to work harder to get the same result is all.

* * *

How long have I been sitting here? I don't even know any more. I know it rained earlier, or at least I think so. Was the sun even still shining?

I can only say for sure that I refused to budge from where I was sitting until I moulded _kage chakra_ in my hand. It didn't have to be anything special, but I refused to leave until it was done.

"Hungry?"

Yuuna. I figured she would come and beg me to stop soon. She never did manage to convince me to give up, but she had been using _Nee-chan_'s tactics to feed me and get me to rest that way.

'_Using my weakness like that against me!_' Sniff, sniff. '_Is that curry rice with..._' Sniiiiiiiff, '_daikons, carrots, potatoes and..._' Sniff, sniff, '_ground chicken meatballs with cayenne? __That is so below the belt it isn't funny!_'

'_Yuuna, stop sticking that-_' I have to mentally wipe away the drool - give me a second, '_deliciously distracting... wonderfully aromatic... Do I smell sweet omelettes too? Kuso! What was I supposed to be doing?_'

"Fine, you win!" I snapped open my eyes, only to see a pair of chopsticks awaiting me, along with every single dish I had identified. Yuuna's _bento_ were simply the best! She even used vegatable shavings to decorate the food. She made a rabbit with daikon shavings, a boar with carrot shavings, and a few rats with eyes of the potato. Kami-sama, I love this girl!

I dived into that food like a six hundred pound dieter who had just fasted for a week! All the while hearing Yuuna's addictive giggles escaping through her hand covered mouth.

When I finally looked up from the empty bento in front of me, Yuuna's baby blue eyes were glued to me. She had that look that seemed to steal the air right from my lungs... Her eyes were half lidded, a shy blush stealing across her cheeks and that smile. That little unsure smile of hers always did weird things to my insides. And were her pupils dilated? Not sure what any of that means, but she loves giving me that look when she watches me eat her food.

She wasn't fidgeting with her hands, or showing any of her nervous ticks. And trust me, I know her nervous ticks. She likes to play with her right earlobe when she's nervous, or rub her knuckles... or she smoothes her hair excessively. She isn't doing any of that, so she can't be even remotely nervous. She's never scared around me; she knows I'd give my life to protect her. What else could it mean then?

"Hao-" She cleared her throat briefly. Curious. "How'd it taste? Was it any good?" She finally asked. Although, her breathing was a bit hitched and she seemed to have a catch in her throat? Females.

"Delicious!" Her blushed deepened. Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to lay it on a bit thick to see how she reacts. "You're food is simply the best I've ever had!" She suddenly found her hands to be more interesting than anything in the world. And she was rubbing her knuckles?

"I'm the luckiest guy in Konoha to have you here, you know that?" Her hand shot up to her ear and she started massaging her earlobe methodically, which seemed to have turned red from the intensity of her blush. Then she smoothed her hair with both hands and got up. Strange, I don't remember her sitting down to begin with.

She stammered out something about not making it too late, before heading off into the night. Was it really that late?

"Hey Yuuna, hold up. Let me walk you back, you know I don't like you being alone at night!"

* * *

The next day... class. I had to suppress yet another sigh as I sat in my chair. I wasn't learning anything in school. Well, nothing useful anyway.

"Good morning class, today's lesson will be on-" Something useful I bet, "the rein of the _Nidaime Hokage_." Well, you got _Nee-chan_ hook line and sinker. As for the rest of us? I knew I heard a '_mendoukusei' _being muttered a not far behind me, and I'm pretty sure I heard Akamaru whine. Was that a bag of chips opening?

I might just have to have the head-specialist test me for ADHD at this rate. My attention was playing hop-scotch over every subject imaginable; other than Senju Tobirama, or what he did for Konoha.

The only times Umino-_sensei _ever kept my attention beyond 'Good morning class', was when he was explaining something about _jutsu_. Basic as it was, learning every intricate detail of any _jutsu_is a fetish of mine. Well, everyone has their quirks, right?

Now that I think about it, Yamashiro wouldn't know to play into my _jutsu _addiction to win me over, would he? No, not without _Nee-chan_ spilling the beans; which was about as likely as the Hokage choosing me to be his successor. '_Well, if the sun rises in the west tomorrow, then I'll really know the world is conspiring against me._'

"Naruto! You're late again!" Umino griped. And sure enough, one tardy Uzumaki was standing in the doorway. Well, standing was a bit of a stretch at the moment, he was leaning against the doorpost, and he was bleeding? This won't end well, I can already see Tatsuko and Yuuna tensing at the sight.

Without thinking, Yuuna was at the boy's side, ushering him to the school nurse. "Hikaru, I don't trust this; go with them." An excuse to get out of class? _YATTA_! Before Umino even had a chance to object I was out the door and helping Yuuna drag Uzumaki down the hall.

I've had to put up with a lot of crap in my life, really I did. The scar of my face was testament to it, and my lips and fractured nose were only now started to revert to their normal state. But Uzumaki seemed to trump me on every card I could play in that department!

He was bleeding profusely from both nostrils, clearly from a shattered - not broken, but actually shattered, as in someone had to hit him flat in his face with a sledgehammer - nose. There were welts the size of softballs on his head, shoulders and arms. The way he tried to limp I'm sure he had either fractured or broken bones in his left foot... and to make it worse, I counted at least two missing teeth.

Someone was going to pay for this... and pay dearly. It's no wonder _Nee-chan_ sent me with them, she needed someone to take notes, and she refused to have Yuuna stay behind or go unsupervised.

Then, as we entered the School Nurse's office, she tried to refuse looking at the _gaki_... Oh. **Hell**. **NO!**

"You've got two choices, woman. One is **us** filing a complaint after you treat him... the other is **you **filing a complaint _after _you find your tongue." My tone of voice was so cold that I actually felt Naruto wince at hearing it. Yuuna was too busy staunching the blood to care about anything else.

Long story short, we ended our day waiting to be interrogated by the ANBU for threatening our superior.

* * *

"If you even think about entering that room without the old man's permission, I will make sure you do so on two broken legs." I heard a very pissed of Senju on the other side of the interrogation room's only door.

"Great, another threat from you lot? Did no one teach you manners?"

"Yes, the same person that taught me how to kill someone in their sleep for fucking with my flesh and blood. Care to test that?" I knew that there was no chance anyone would cross that girl when she was pissed; and seeing that Yuuna, Naruto (after being tended to by none other than Kenichi-_sensei_himself) and me were waiting to be interrogated for trying to tend to Naruto... Well, let's just say that not even _Nidaime _coming back from the dead asking her to calm down would make any difference.

"Senju-_dono_, please-"

"If anyone tells me to calm down one more time I will-" The rest was nothing less than very graphic and seriously posed threats to the health of the offenders, their family and basically anyone that associated with them. Times like this really make me appreciate my _Nee-chan_.

Then there was (relative) silence. That means the Hokage showed up and is actually listening to her explain what really happened.

"So, all this happened, and no one thought to even ask the nurse that refused to treat a seriously injured academy student?" I heard the edge in the old man's voice. He may not always be well informed, but it was obvious he had a soft spot for Tatsuko and Naruto, both of which were very much involved in this most recent fiasco.

"Hokage-_sama_, it is difficult to do our jobs if we-"

"If you don't listen to someone that was an eye witness, or even bother to ask anyone else that would have seen Naruto enter the school, or the classroom a bloody mess, then you have no business telling me what you can or cannot do in regard to your job. If you sense I am being too lenient, then you are calling Umino Iruka a liar for giving me his report before I was called here to deal with Senju Tatsuko. I have already confirmed the girl's story, so I suggest you stand down immediately." Well, no arguing with a triple wammy.

Not investigating before interrogating Konoha citizens, denying an eye witness baselessly, and hesitating after being ordered to stand down by the Hokage himself... He'll be lucky if the old man doesn't have him retired by the end of the day.

There was a long pause, probably them waiting on someone to leave - wilfully or not."Although I do not agree with your tactics, I thank you for seeing justice prevail in this matter." The old man's voice was more compassionate now. Even through the closed door, and no windows or any way to truly perceive the situation, I could still see her features soften as his words.

"One of these days, Hokage-_sama_, they are going to push me too far. Those ANBU of yours are too jumpy to persecute us, and I will not stand for it any longer." Her words were harsh, but there was at least some warmth in them. So she couldn't be pissed off; probably just making her point.

"What of Naruto's situation? I assume you will deal with it?" Huh? Was he asking us to deal with whatever was going on with Uzumaki?

"Six merchants attacked him in broad daylight, simply because he ran through the alley their shops' backdoors were located in. They will claim he was trying to break in and that they were well within their rights to retaliate. Your hands are tied on the matter, so what else could you possibly suggest?" Damn that girls gets her information fast. We were only here for an hour, which is the standard time to wait while the papers are being processed and the Hokage is informed of the situation. Anyone who tries anything before the old man approves is possibly executed for high treason in that regard.

"I already received their official complaints about Naruto. They seem to suggest that I should finish off what they started. A shame that there were no witnesses of what happened, so you're quite right, my hands are tied." One look at Uzumaki spoke volumes of how shitty he felt at that exact moment. "However, I also could never fully prove who retaliated against those merchants in the past could I?"

"Just the way it's meant to be. How is old man Gichi doing?" Another, more uncomfortable and slightly more profound pause ensued.

"I had received the autopsy reports just this morning. Please tell me that it was actually suicide." Now Uzumaki is completely shocked. Old man Gichi was the father of the chuunin that attacked me. He launched an official complaint against Naruto and Tastuko claiming we tortured his son and drove him to madness. How absurd! Naruto had nothing to do with that! Though it was common knowledge that he was one of the more avid mob members that gathered every morning.

"I did not touch the man, nor did anyone else. His wounds were self inflicted. I'm sure the autopsy confirmed that."

"Yes, yes. But no one could have known that without being directly, or indirectly involved. Autopsies are classified you know."

"Yes, they are. And attacking citizens of Konoha are against the law, yet they happen all to often, don't they." Listening to them talk was like listening to a game of chess being played. You know moves are being made by the clicks on the board, but you have no idea who was doing what.

"Often?"

"Daily."

"Daily?"

"Did I stammer?"

"I see. And Gichi was involved in this."

"One of the ring leaders in the joint attacks. The only reason why Naruto got off so badly this time, was because the power went out in the group home and his alarm likely didn't get a chance to go off. That alley is the shortest route to the Academy. Don't you check your map before checking a story?"

"I see. So how are you getting all this information?"

"The same way you get yours, people talk. Some more reluctantly than others, but they always talk."

"It's no wonder Aoba requested you be introduced to the T & I department. But you do realise that you will be introduced to a lot of people you've threatened over the years?" Yamashiro has some explaining to do when I see him!

"And you do realise that I couldn't care less? If they threaten what's left of my family, they got off easy with words." I wonder why it took me so long to realise that they do not know we can hear their every word.

"I am starting to reconsider your early admittance into ANBU, but I think you would simply turn the entire organization on its head before the day's out." She was invited to join ANBU? That's my _Nee-chan_ for you.

"I will no doubt join their ranks eventually, but I have my priorities, and _they_ seem almost intent on making them impossible for me."

"Try to see it as they do, most of them were investigated for years before being even considered. Only to finally be injected into the ANBU after a decade of serving Konoha. While you are not even a _genin _but are being hounded to join."

"If they truly wish to trade places with me, I can arrange it."

"Somehow I doubt they would be half as... effective as you are." Why am I still listening to this? Oh right, I don't have a choice.

"Their problem, not mine."

"That it is. Still, I am curious as to how well our plan is coming along?"

"Terribly. She is doing well enough, but I am simply too distant from him to work effectively. He will need to be placed solely in my care for an effective execution of the objective."

"That will not be easy to cover up."

"Do you really want to be the one to explain to the _Yondaime _why his will is being so blatantly subverted?"

"Even after what was done to you, you still wish to carry out his will so thoroughly?"

"The die is cast; the only direction left is forward."

Silence ensued. '_The third pause, she loves that insipid number. I wonder if she partly respects the Hokage because he is the third?_' I looked around the interrogation room, at the two pairs of now forlorn, baby blue eyes.

"If only I had more shinobi with your dedication."

"Then you would have a village with a lot less inhabitants."

_**End Chapter 13**_

_**

* * *

**_

**A/N: Lots of love being sent out to Kiravu for being patient with me, especially with this chapter! Hikaru is probably as close to a self-insert as I am willing to get; but he really is just like me.. well, mostly anyway. For those of you who don't like Hikaru, or wonder why he views his 'Nee-chan' in such a violent light, probably doesn't have and older sister. They tend to traumatize their younger brothers, calling it 'bonding time', while telling them that it will prepare us for their eventual girlfriend, and even more eventual wife. Well, those who have survived, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!**

**Lol, anyhoo, I hope you all enjoyed my latest update. And I would just like to mention that I have the rest of this Arc plotted out, I just need to mete out the fight scenes in small doses. You will understand why in time. **

**To all my loyal readers, I love you guys! It really helps me to move along with my hectic life to know that there are some that really apreciate my effort and my views on - what can only be determined after the fact as - insanity.**

**I also wanted to send a specially warm thank you to RedRangerBelt who seems to have been stalking me faithfully :D I swear it wasn't me that called the cops! Seriously, you can put the axe down now, we're friends right? No, seriously, if you chop off anything it will slow down my chapters! Lol, no but seriously. Thank you for your interest and your faithful reviews. I really appreciate it :D**

**Next time we will take a gander into the past that formed Hikaru into the nutcase (said will all the love of his greatest admirer) he is at this point in the timeline. See you in Chapter 14, or Arc 2 Chapter 4, which will be cryptically titled:**

**Arc2: Student 2, fall fell, fallen**

**(Who wants to try to guess what it means?)**


	14. Arc2: Student 2, Fall fell, fallen

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students**_

_**It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Flashback Chapter~**

**~Hikaru's POV~**

Mid Autumn. What is it about this time of year that seems to toss all of Konoha into chaos and anarchy? Women are eternally on the verge of tears; men taking up residence in bars. Everyone over the age of fifteen seems to be perpetually on edge. No one smiles. '_What is up with everyone?_'

"_Tou-san_, why is everyone so up tight?" My curiosity is usually piqued this time of year, but this is the first time I've actually asked.

"You are too young to remember, _musuko_."

"I'm old enough to be sent to the academy, but too young to understand?" I baited him. I knew what he said, but this way I was more likely to hear what he was not saying yet.

"A know-it-all daughter, and now a smart-Alec son. What did I do to be so blessed?" He wondered out loud, smiling at me the whole time. He took a few minutes to think about what he was going to say; his smile fading with each passing second.

"What does October 10th mean to you?" He finally asked.

"The celebration of the defeat of the _Kyuubi_. A day we celebrate surviving the brutal attack of the king of the _Bijuu_." Daikoku-_sensei _made a big deal about it only two days ago, though even he seemed edgy while talking.

"That is true, but not the whole story." He tried to smile at me; obviously proud that I was soaking up the information like a sponge, but still something was draining the life from his face. "To those that were there, it is a time of mourning, because we could not save Namikaze Minato, the _Yondaime Hokage_. He died protecting our village, and a part of Konoha went with him."

I studied _Tou-san_ for a moment, trying to understand what he meant, not just what he said. "_Yondaime-sama_ meant a lot to you... _ne, Tou-san_?"

"Minato-_kun _and I are best friends. So what do you think?" Not 'were', not 'had been', not 'used to be'... Are. Currently, still, at this very moment. He is stating a fact: 'we are best friends'. He hasn't gotten over his death.

"_Yondaime-sama_ was the strongest and most beloved of all the _Hokage_. The only one to scare people by simply mentioning his name." _Tou-san_ had a faraway look in his eyes; I knew without asking that he was walking down memory lane. "He would take the most dangerous missions himself, even after becoming _Hokage_. Simply saying that he could not risk his family for something he could easily do himself. Who could argue with that?"

_Tou-san_ was quiet for a long time. I took the chance to look around at all people that surrounded us in that crowded bar. Everyone's eyes were mournful; their body language, defeated. No one was crying openly, but you could see they were crying on the inside. The older the person, the more intense and obvious it became.

I slowly take a sip of my orange juice. Logically, I shouldn't be allowed in a bar, but who would ever refuse Yukikami Tatsuhi? He's the type of man that you simply acquiesce to his every whim, whether you want to or not.

"It's all that _youko-gaki_'s fault!" Someone - a faceless drunk as far as I could tell - called out in a drunken stupor. No one made any move to agree, but their eyes hardened slightly at the thought: their mourning found a target, their anger a vent. They found a way to ease their pain by offering it ten times over to someone else.

"If anyone wants to work out their frustration. I am right here!" _Tou-san_ shouted so loud that I'm sure patrons of the bars across town heard him.

"Yukikami-_sama_, don't tell me you don't want to avenge your team mate?" One person - an elder _kunoichi_- asked.

"Gladly! I would love to get my hands on the people responsible, but you confuse the offender with the victim! Who here thinks the Uzumaki boy asked for his fate?" Uzumaki? As in Uzumaki Naruto? I didn't know the boy that well, but he was in my class.

The bar went silent. All eyes softened to their mournful, and lost, state. The tension in the room fizzed out like a candle in a storm. "If you want to get back for us losing our friend, then find out who did it! Do not take it out on someone who can't even defend himself!" _Tou-san_ slammed some money on the counter of the bar and left. I stayed behind for a few seconds, almost immediately seeing sparks of hope blossom in a few pairs of eyes.

* * *

The next day at school, Naruto didn't show up. I asked Daikoku-_sensei _what happened to him, but a happy smile was all I got. And trust me when I say, what ever happened, that man was **happy **about it.

I noticed a lot of smiles in the Academy that day. Almost every Academy instructor was smiling. It was as if an enormous burden had been lifted from everyone. Seeing that it was October tenth, I can't seem to understand what they were suddenly so happy about.

So I did the only thing I could think about: I cornered _Nee-chan_ during one of the breaks.

"Naruto's missing, everyone's smiling. What the hell is going on?" I asked her blatantly.

"Naruto's missing?" Her eyes went wide with shock with what she was hearing. I could almost see her brain kick into overdrive as she processed that.

"Yuuna's missing too, and did you notice that Kenta-_san _hasn't shown up to practice in a while?" She added. I was hoping to get some real answers for once, but the look on her face didn't comfort me in the least. It was as if she had seen a ghost.

"Karu, we are ditching school. Let's go." She said plainly. Well it wasn't like I was interested in staying anyway.

"Where we going?"

"You are going to the hospital to look for Naruto, try to get any information you can. I am going to the Kitsunaga compound to look for Yuuna. Meet me by the Hokage Tower in one hour." Without another word, we went our separate ways.

'_The hospital? Kami-sama, if she's right then I know there'll be hell to pay._'

* * *

"What brings you two here?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked. I had never been in the same room with the legend himself, at least not without hundreds of others vying for his attention.

"I'll get straight to the point, Hiruzen. I am pissed off at every living being in this damnable village." Fuck. She just had to start pissing on my happy moment. "And frankly, you are not excluded from that statement."

"What happened?" He asked cautiously. If I didn't know any better, I would think that he was carefully choosing his words. Jeez, who the hell is Senju Tatsuko really?

"I have just found out that Uzumaki Naruto is in a coma, seemingly beaten to death by over thirty citizens of Konoha."

"I see." He stated blandly, obviously being aware of that already.

"What's worse-" _Nee-chan_ continued, seemingly unaffected. Though her eyes did narrow as she focused more intently on the Hokage, malice burning in her gaze. I was starting to wish that I hadn't told her anything at all, "is that no one seems to care. The Konoha Military Police Corps are actually refusing to look into it, no ANBU have been dispatched and I confirmed no care has been offered to the boy in the least. If Hikaru had not personally talked to Kenichi-_sensei_, I'm not sure if Naruto would still be alive."

There was a long pause. Almost too long for my now frazzled nerves. "And it seems that no one thought of announcing that there are bodies strewn about in the Kitsunaga Compound." To say that the room was below freezing point would be an understatement. I could actually see moisture condensing on the windows! Somehow though, her voice seemed colder still; like her voice box was dipped in liquid nitrogen and everything that touched it would freeze too. "But then, what's one more clan massacre to a village with so many clans to replace it?"

'_I think I'll just not move for a while. I wonder if I can hold my breath that long too._' It's not that I wasn't pissed off too. It's not that I wasn't afraid for Yuuna, who had become something of a sister to me. Nothing like that. I just simply had never seen _Nee-chan_ this upset before. Ever. The fact that the door to the Hokage's office was laying in splinters behind me didn't really help much.

'_You'd think that the ANBU would be more alert than that, but seeing everything that is going on today..._'

_Sandaime_'s chakra flared menacingly, and within seconds the room was filled with ANBU. "Anyone with medical skills are to report to the hospital, you are to monitor Uzumaki Naruto until I say otherwise. The rest of you are to head to the Kitsunaga Compound and find out what the hell is going on!" With that, they all disappeared as swiftly as they had appeared. No smoke, no leaves, just pure speed.

"Now, Tatsuko, tell me everything you know." The sudden steely edge in the Hokage's eyes and voice seemed to match _Nee-chan_'s.

"You are losing your village, and those who are taking it are doing so by force." Before _Nee-chan_ could even decide to continue, I heard laboured footsteps dragging through the splinters that littered the floor. I turned around to see who was coming in, only to have my blood freeze in my veins. I'm still not sure if it was because of my reaction, or _Nee-chan_'s.

"_Otou-sama_-" A strained voice began, "sends... his apologies... for failing you... _Ho-ka-ge_... _sa-ma_." Blood was flowing down a few nicks on her face, as well as the few places that her bones were coming out of her left forearm. Combined with the collection of kunai sticking out of her back - which became visible as she started falling to the ground - it's not surprising they thought she was dead.

* * *

Three days, three nights, staring at three students. If I didn't know any better, I would think that _Nee-chan_'s fetish with the number three was coming back to haunt me.

_Hokage-sama_ confined us - Naruto, who was still in a coma, Yuuna, who was wrapped up like a mummy but physically fine otherwise, _Nee-chan_, who looked like she would kill anything that walked into the room and I - to a rather small hospital room.

For the first time in my life, I can honestly say that I am pissed off at the people of Konoha. Naruto, though something of a prankster, would never hurt a fly. Yet a group of people came damn close to brutally murdering him. He had more broken bones than I knew were possible, and the ANBU we constantly taking turns to help heal what they could.

No words were exchanged. No one muttered anything. No uncalled for noises were heard. Nothing. It was eerily similar to living in a library - once you got used to, and therefore block out, the constant peeps from the equipment attached to Naruto - only, you could still smell the disinfectants the hospital staff used to clean. Three days of near absolute silence was starting to work on my already fading sanity.

I say fading, because I spent the entire time trying - and failing - to understand what the hell was going on! Having spent my life studying every single mystery offered by either _Tou-san_ or _Nee-chan_, it was a new experience for me. One I instantly decided I hated.

Yuuna seemed to be doing even worse; she had yet to stop crying. Her wounds healed up quickly, but the broken bones were - understandably - taking a bit longer. Still, every time I looked at her, I could only see her haunted, puffy eyes. She was a wreck.

At first I tried to talking to the carrot top. I tried everything I could think of, from the dolls she liked to play with, to the puppy she wanted to adopt. Nothing. I can't even honestly say I'm sure she heard me.

Though somehow, _Nee-chan_ seemed to be taking all this the worst. I don't know what was going through her head, I usually don't, but she was still livid. I could tell that she was plotting something, and - judging from the almost stifling killing intent rolling off her - it wasn't hard to tell what: someone was going to die slowly and painfully for this.

Which leads to another thing that has been slowly driving me up a wall: these three have never been able to sit still long, especially Naruto. So seeing them motionless for three days was simply too much to take.

_Tou-san_ came by a few times, but even he couldn't take the oppressive aura the room seemed to radiate.

/_"I have some news." Tou-san announced, neither receiving nor expecting any greeting. "Yuuna is the only survivor we've found." No one looked surprised, but there was no response. Well, unless you count the slow but steady increase of fire burning in Tatsuko-nee's eyes._

_"So I have petitioned the Hokage for Yuuna to stay with us after she is released." Tou-san informed us. Still nothing. I wanted to ask about Naruto, seeing that he already had nowhere to go, but there was no telling if he would ever wake up._

_'Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.'_/

That was yesterday.

'_I truly don't know how to react to any of this. How can someone react to finding out that another clan was wiped out for no obvious reason?_' I remember _Nee-chan_ telling me about the Senju clan, how they were slaughtered the same night as the _Kyuubi _attack. Everyone thought it was suspicious, but there was never any conclusive evidence.

I remember how tense _Nee-chan_ became whenever someone brought up the family she would never know. In fact, the only thing she would ever learn about them, was written in scrolls she had inherited. Those scrolls were worth more than life itself to her; as such, she never let them out of her sight. _Tou-san_ taught her how to store them into a specially made scroll, and how to retrieve them, so she could always have them close to her. She started wearing baggy clothes just to hide that one scroll - which she nicknamed _seimei no minamoto_... The essence of life.

'_I hope Nee-chan can help Yuuna deal with this._' One look at the two girls told me that nothing would ever be the same. Yuuna would never smile the way she used to. It would probably take her years to even learn to smile again. '_Who would do something like this?_' Questions kept pouring into my already agitated mind, but the answers wouldn't follow.

* * *

Two weeks. Fourteen days. Three hundred thirty-six hours. The longest sentence of my life, even though I was just shy of eight years old. Two whole weeks passed in an overbearing silence, before we were allowed to leave that blasted room. I ran out like they told me the hospital was going to explode any second; knowing I was the only one leaving.

Even though Yuuna's wounds were all healed, the cast wouldn't be taken off for another few weeks. And nothing anyone did could keep her from zoning out. She was officially living in her own world now, and no one knew how to get through to her.

Naruto's condition showed no improvement as far as I could tell. _Nee-chan_ would help stretch his muscles twice a day, replicating the exact motions the ANBU had shown her only once. The remainder of her time was spent sitting quietly in a corner, with Yuuna curled up in her lap.

Still, I ran. I had no idea where I was going, but my feet seemed to know the way. I just kept running, and running; hoping and praying that it was all just some elaborate joke. Still, seeing what _Nee-chan_ had been through, I was not naive enough to think it was impossible.

All around me, in the centre of Konoha's shinobi district, there were smiling faces. People were laughing, shouting out '_kanpai_' in the bars, sharing happy congratulations with each other. They all disgusted me.

The more I ran, the colder my fury became. The colder my fury, the faster I ran. It was a vicious cycle that never seemed to end.

"Did they finally let you out, sweety?" _Kaa-san_ asked, happily embracing me. I still don't know where I am, but I guess I'm home. "How are you? Are you all right? Did you want something to eat, or to drink?" She was fussing over me with every fibre in her being; constantly clearing the hair out of my face, or affectionately squeezing my cheeks.

Somehow I couldn't bring myself to speak. I just stared in front of me, trusting my feet would lead me to wherever it was I was going.

"_Tou-san_ told me that you were looking a bit pale from being locked up so long, I see he was right." _Kaa-san_ was in the habit of referring to her husband as _Tou-san_ whenever she spoke to me, strangely I can't remember her ever calling him anything other than Yukikami-_sama _to _Nee-chan_ though. "I don't know why he started training that girl in _hyouton_. Everyone knows that overexposure robs you off the vitamin D needed to have healthy looking skin and hair. Come here, let me rub some cacoa butter on you."

I don't remember if I ate anything, or even if I sat at the table. Can't really say I remember much of anything those first days I was home.

Eventually _Nee-chan_ came home too, with the still mute Yuuna dragging her feet behind her. It was odd, yet remotely comfortable, that we simply fell into a pattern of training around the clock. Words were rarely spoken, facial expressions always hovered between indifferent and exhausted.

School become nothing more than a chore. A full month, and still no sign from Uzumaki.

Funeno-_sensei _continuously kept reminding me to call him Daikoku-_sensei_, but nothing he did could ever erase that smiling face from my memory. The day that changed everything for me, was the day that he seemed happiest about. Every time I looked at him, I could still see the outlines of that smile on his face. His face, and the faces of everyone I passed on the streets. They all disgusted me.

No one had stopped smiling since that day. People who were well known to be sour, were now smiling like they had won the lottery. People who were well known to be cold, were now warm as a summer's day. Everyone seemed to catch the happy insanity fever that was spreading like wild fire.

Everyone but _Tou-san_, Yuuna, _Nee-chan_ and I. Even _Kaa-san_ seemed a little less tense than she usually was, though that only lasted while _Nee-chan_ and Yuuna were not home. I don't know how it started, but slowly I found myself frowning more and more at that woman. Or just frowning in general.

'_What's there to smile about?_'

"You should show your _Kaa-san_ more respect than that!" She would shout at me, but never once did I reply to her. I simply deferred to _Nee-chan_. That was how I dealt with everything: '_Nee-chan, sick 'em._'

* * *

Six months were gone before I could even blink. Uzumaki was back in school, and the sickeningly sweet smiles had died the instant they saw him. Somehow he was unfazed by his life, like it was normal to him. That realization only made me angrier, colder. He tried to talk to me a few times, which I can honestly say I conversed warmly. Other than that, I was always quiet.

_Tou-san_ seemed to mimic me perfectly, never really saying much any more. His genin team was disbanded, since Kenta was dead and Uchiwa-_teme _was invited into, and therefore part of ANBU-root. Yasei was given a position in the Hokage's personal ANBU, a team Sarutobi selected and trained himself.

That meant that _Tou-san_ had more time to train his new trio: Tatsuko, Yuuna and I.

"Hikaru-_chan_, I'm going to the market. Make sure you stay out of trouble, okay?" Yukikami-_san _announced. I can't even remember any more when she stopped being my _Kaa-san_, but I no longer held any respect for her. In fact, _Tou-san_ was the only adult I respected at all.

When Yukikami-_san _looked at me expectantly, I nodded and watched her walk out the front door.

"She deserves more respect than you give her." _Nee-chan_ whispered calmly. Her eyes were not focused on anything I could discern, but I figured it didn't matter.

"Maybe." I answered evenly. "Anyway, we need to get to our training. Did _Tou-san_ say where he wanted us to go this time?"

"_Hai_, training ground fourty-four. He said we're camping there for a week, and that Yukikami-_san _was already informed. He expects us to meet him at entrance eighteen." Her voice almost reminded me of the ANBU-root operatives that came to collect Uchiwa-_teme _that day. Words, nothing more. Not cold, not warm, no emotion at all. Just words.

I packed my things quickly - but not overly rushed - then met _Nee-chan_ and Yuuna at the front door. I remember not even sparing a glance at the house as I left. I'm not even sure I would change that if I could.

* * *

"Focus. Maintain the steady flow of chakra. Once you three have mastered this, we will move on to the next phase." _Tou-san_ explained.

'_Next phase? What next phase?_'

We had spent the first day jumping trees while not making a sound. _Nee-chan_ was even told to activated her _doujutsu_ to make sure we were doing it perfectly before he started on his next phase: 'trip the _seitou_'.

Basically the same as moving soundlessly, but now you have to worry about an elite _jounin _trying to trip you as you jumped from tree to tree... in the middle of flesh eating plants, leeches the size of wild boars, tigers that had something to prove... Not the healthiest place to train. And that was just phase two...

After we proved we were not easy to trip - meaning we each had to force him to actually try - he bumped us up another notch!

"I like to call this lobster training." He explained, after having us dig a whole three metres long, three metres wide... and two metres deep. He filled it with a _suiton jutsu_, then used a _katon jutsu_ to heat it up! There was actually steam rising from the newly created pond. "Now, this is just like tree climbing, except now you have to do it on water." I half expected Yuuna to call him nuts, but wasn't too surprised when she just followed orders.

Well, it only took a few seconds to realise why he called it lobster training, because once we all fell in - which was half the freaking point - we had to claw our way out of the pond! We were all red as lobsters and - if my guess was right - half cooked.

Every time we fell in, which happened A LOT, we were told to cool off and rub a salve on any place that hurt. Then after a few minutes, we were to try again.

The only good thing that came out of it was that Yuuna would scream the dirtiest profanities you can imagine every time she climbed out of the pond. At first she was so embarrassed that she started crying.

/ _"If you are in that much pain, then you should quit now." Tou-san told her calmly. Her eyes were the size of dinner plates from shock. "I'm serious, things will only get harder after this."_

_"You're not mad at me?" Her voice was so soft that it was hard to understand what she said._

_"I designed these training methods to be as brutal as possible. So why should I get upset if you aren't pleased?" He joked. Cruel sense of humour, those Yukikami._

_There was a long pause, like Yuuna was deciding whether or not to re-explore the gift of speech. "Otou-sama would tan my hide if he ever heard me say something so unladylike." _

_Tou-san just laughed. Good, long, hard, belly rolling, cheeks burning, out of breath laughing. It was contagious too. No one really understood what was going on, but we were all laughing alongside our insane leader._

_"The next time... you see... a lady lobster... tell... tell her that... BWAHAHAHA" He puffed out between bouts of chuckles and trying to breathe. _/

I can still hear Yuuna's embarrassed laughter after she pieced together what he told her. But more importantly, I remember that laughter slowly give way to something warmer, something more wholesome. Her eyes slowly started thawing out, slowly warming up; they went from a chilly December morning, to a warm May afternoon.

When her hand shot up in front of her mouth as she laughed, _Tou-san_ only seemed to laugh harder.

Poor Yuuna couldn't make any sense out of that, and seeing that it was the first time we had actually seen her laugh we didn't know to forewarn her. "The Yukikami girls aren't quite as... sophisticated." _Nee-chan_ tried to explain her.

"Huh?" Okay, that didn't help.

"They don't give a flying f-"

"Hi-ka-ruuuu!" Came _Nee-chan_'s warning.

I huffed and shrugged exasperatedly, knowing better than to get on _Nee-chan_'s bad side. "Yukikami girls don't care about what people think. They are who they are, how they are, when they are... they just live their lives. If anyone has a problem with that, they can sod off." I tried to say it as nicely as I could, but I knew if she really started hanging around the girls of the clan they would not be as... censored.

At any rate, we got Yuuna to talk again, so it wasn't a waste of effort.

"What does that have to do with-" She indicated her hand, wondering how it all tied together.

"Putting your hand in front your mouth when you laugh is a sign of a lady, a well behaved, properly brought up, accepting her role in the world, lady." I told her blandly. _Tou-san_ just nodded, trying to catch his breath. "Our girls are nothing like that."

Yuuna shrugged, clearly not convinced.

"In fact," _Tou-san_ eventually continued. "only the females of the Yukikami main house are expected to have any real manners at all." He indicated _Nee-chan_ in that. I don't think I'd ever seen a pair of eyes go half as wide as Yuuna's did. "We don't discourage manners, but they aren't exactly required."

"Which is a nice way of saying that most Yukikami would make great ANBU, but lousy diplomats." _Nee-chan_ explained light heartedly.

It was at that point that two ANBU made their presence known. They explained evenly and without preamble that there had been another massacre - the Yukikami clan - no known survivors. I don't know how I know, but I felt that it had actually taken place about the time that Yukimaki-_san_made it back from the market.

"One step foreward, tens steps back." Tou-san mumbled, rubbing the arch of his nose between his thumb and his index finger. "Thank you for informing us. Please leave now." _Tou-san_ instructed them coldly. For a brief moment, the thought crossed my mind that _Tou-san_ had done it. I certainly wouldn't blame him for it, but I couldn't convince myself it was him either. It didn't matter, at any rate. They were dead. No coming back for them.

I discarded that train of though and began focusing on the water walking training we were sidetracked from, completely blocking out everything around me.

* * *

"It's all right to cry, you know." _Nee-chan_ said after the others had gone to sleep. We had first watch, and since _Tou-san_ wasn't the type to take chances, we were told to stay really close to the camp to avoid setting off the perimeter traps.

"Wow, there was actual warmth there. How do you do it?" I asked sarcastically.

"Stop kidding around, Karu. I know things haven't been normal the last few months-" She was defending them? Well, it was honourable of her, but totally unnecessary.

"Try six months, _Nee-chan_. Six months, and not one of them offered Yuuna so much as a warm glance after learning that her clan was killed. Why should I give them any better than they gave her?" My voice was coldly neutral, I knew. It was just easier this way for me.

"Because you deserve that kind of respect." That brought me up short. I deserved mourning them? "The memories of you playing with your cousins, the memories of how happy you used to be, the person you used to be. You deserve being able to mourn that."

"And the memories of how horribly they treated you and Yuuna?" I nonplussed.

"Not everything revolves around us. This is your family, your flesh and blood. You deserve the chance to mourn them, to let go of all the pain regarding them." Her eyes were full of warmth now, not just her words. It is the softest I had seen her eyes in months. Maybe she was just getting better at hiding that warmth, before people knew to swoop in and ousted it.

I knew she was right, but I still couldn't bring myself to cry. Even after recalling every happy memory, even after thinking about all the good times I had with them. I felt no pity for them.

* * *

The next morning we left training ground forty-four and returned to our house. Nothing was done to clean it up, obviously. Chalk outlines of bodies were everywhere and blood stained the ground where they were mortally wounded.

Right on our front porch, I saw the outline of a slight framed individual. To that person's right was the obvious gash that they bled to death from. To their left was an odd mix of sweet sake, ginger and orange juice.

"She was going to cook your favourite breakfast when we got back." _Nee-chan_ whispered. Somehow that caused a chain reaction in me, tears were streaming down my face before I could even realise they were there.

And the long, drawn out sobs I heard echoing off the front of the house... Were coming from me.

_**End Chapter 14**_

* * *

**A/N: Kiravu, I love you! Once again, my beta saves me from the worst of my mistakes. So any left behind are my bad :P  
At any rate, this chapter came out quite a bit darker than it was intended, but I think it explains what it needs to. I'm sure you can all understand the main trio of my story much better because of what happened to them, and why Hikaru is who he is.**

**Well, next time, we are going to take a closer look at Yuuna. Not my personal favourite to write, but needed. You'll understand when you read it. Once again, to all my dedicated readers, thank you and keep the reviews coming. Tell me what you think, okay?**

_**Musuko - **_**Son**_**.**_

_**Youko-gaki -**__******Fox brat.**_

_**Seitou -**____******Student.**_

___******Kanpai - Cheers.**_


	15. Arc2: Student 3, Snow atop a volcano

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students**_

_**It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

_**#All sign language text will be announced like this. Seriously. See that sign?#**_

* * *

**~Yuuna's POV~**

"All right students, who would like to show me which one of these plants is known as hybiscus?" Inuzuka-_sensei _asked as soon as class started. Well, I'm not really sure you'd even call it a class really. We kinda just walk around and _sensei _would kinda point out some stuff that would totally be useful during missions.

"Is it this one, _sensei_?" I pointed to the weird leafy looking flower. It was really pretty, but a little odd... still it felt sooooo soft and smelled nice too! I love hybiscus!

"Well done, Yuuna-_chan_. Yes, that is the red hybiscus flower. There is also a yellow, a purple and a pink version to it. Now, which part of the flower is used to make tea, and what are the affects of that tea?"

"Ummm, you use the petals after drying them for two to three days. They are good for colds, to help fight loss of appetite, and help clear the respiratory system of liquids. And if you make a salve with it, it helps keep your skin and hair soft and smooth." I love hybiscus.

"Excellent, Yuuna-_chan_. Now why is it important to know this?"

"Ummm, soldier pills cut your appetite and they tend to constipate you for a while. So the hybiscus tea counteracts that. And it tastes really nice by itself too, kinda sweet-sour, but once you get used to that it is totally addictive."

"I see you've been taught the basics of herbology then." Inuzuka-_sensei _smiled warmly at me. It was kinda strange that no one else took this class. I guess they all thought it was pretty useless when compared to other classes, but it totally rocks!

"_Okaa-sama_ was pretty strict about me learning most of this stuff. It totally paid off though! I'm a decent cook and I can make some pretty neat salves and cosmetics." I stopped to take a long sniff at one of the eucalyptus flowers. "But _sensei_, why are you still saying 'students'? I'm like totally the only one here."

"Hope springs eternal." Was all she would commit too. "Maybe I should rename the course."

"No way, the one on one attention is totally needed for this sort of stuff, sensei. Besides, I sooo don't wanna share you now!" I teased.

"Oh, and here I was thinking that you were the shy type."

"Ano..." How do I explain that? I totally don't wanna start talking about stuff that'll get _Nee-chan_ totally amiffed with me. "I'm... like... it's just that..."

I totally did a retake. "People don't like me." _Sensei _just stood there, totally staring at me. It was kind of like uncomfortable. Doesn't she know it's rude to stare, totally.

"I'm sorry, people don't like you?"

"Totally don't like, dislike, maybe even really dislike. I totally don't get it, but it's not like I can change it or anything." She's - like - staring again. Rude!

"Do you know why?" Like duh! Of course I know why, but telling you is like totally going to Pee Oh _Nee-chan_. And she is the only person alive you SOOO don't want to see Pee Oh-ed.

'_Oh Em Gee, what do I say to like totally get her off my case? What would Hi-chan do?_' Turn on the light bulb, part the clouds in a storm... and when you're done come back and let me tell you what divine inspiration has revealed unto my humbled soul: I shrugged. Total genius.

She totally bought it too!

* * *

"What a totally disasterific day." I mumbled as Hi-_chan _and me entered our room. Well, technically it wasn't his room, seeing that _Nee-chan_ and me lived together on the girl's side of the group home, but Hi-_chan _never slept in his room. Can't say we even know who his roomie would be either. We never really thought to check.

Normally boys weren't even allowed on our side of the home, but Auntie Reimi was totally overcome by the power of the puppy eyes! No one can withstand that awesome might that is my begging them! I could sooo bring peace to the Elemental Nations if I could like get all the _kage _in one room. Totally.

"What are you complaining about, _Chibi-chan_?" Hi-chan asked once he closed and secured the door. Cue 'resigned to my fate' sigh. Screen-writer-_san_, you're soooo getting fired for this.

"Nothing, Hi-hi, just tired." He can't tell the difference anyway, right?

"You couldn't lie your way out of a paper bag, now what happened?" Le sigh.

"Fine, Inuzuka-_sensei _was kinda nosing around during class. I mean, it's not like we had anything better to do - seeing that she planned on talking about herbs and stuff, which I totally aced like forever ago." And of course Hi-_chan _starts motioning with his hands to get to the point.

"Long story short, she was asking why people dislike me, and I was like totally at a loss as to what to say so I was like '_What would Hi-chan do?_' then it totally hit me and I shrugged it off and just kept looking at all the cool plants and stuff." That hurt him. I knew it hurt him. It had to hurt him. His eyes went wide at first, totally in shock, then he kinda went all mushy on me when I was wondering what to do. He totally worries about me. Oh Em Gee!

"Oh Em Gee, Hi-hi, are you like crushing on me?" I teased him. If _Nee-chan_ were here he would totally deny it, but it's just us, right?

"Oh Em Gee, like how did you know? Are you like totally reading my mind right now?" He teased me right back. I was all like '_Oh no you didn't!_' and he was like '_Oh yeah I did!_' and I like I totally smacked him for it! It was just a love tap, don't worry. I won't break him.

Then he was like all '_Oh no you didn't!_' and I was like all '_Oh yeah I did!_' so he poked me in my ribs with his finger. I totally squealed when he did that - I am sooo ticklish!

'_Well, there are sooo many worse ways to end a day than a tickle fight with my Hi-hi. I'm sooo getting him to admit that he is totally crushing on me though!_'

* * *

"So, Hi-_chan_, what are we not learning about this time?" I asked playfully as we sat down in Homeroom. Iruka-_sensei _was totally engrossed in his work, as always. He is sooo predictable.

"I think Umino-_sensei _was going to talk about the Economical and Industrial Revolution in _Ame no kuni_. We have pretty strong ties to them, so Umino-_sensei _wants us to learn some of their history too."

"So what are we going to be doing while he is talking about that?" I asked, nudging _Nee-chan_. She is totally going to say something about her paying attention while we goof off, then she'll be all like '_why weren't you paying attention when sensei talked about it_' the day before the test. I totally have _Nee-chan_ figured out, and she doesn't even know it. Evil smiley!

"I plan on paying attention, and you should too." Stick in the mud. Well, maybe I'll toy around with that new seal I was learning the other day. Hi-_chan_ would never openly disobey _Nee-chan_, but if I could sneak something to him without her knowing, he'll never turn it down.

"Good morning, you three. Early as always, I see." Iruka-_sensei _finally looked up from whatever he was doing and finally noticed us. Well, that means it's time for my '_good little student_' persona to take over. I am totally against it, but _Nee-chan_ insists that we not draw attention to ourselves.

"Good morning, Iruka-_sensei_." Triple intonation greeting _jutsu_! I sooo wish I could use _Ototon _like _Nee-chan_! The things I could do with playing with sounds!

"Hi-_chan_, I totally know what I'm going to do today!" How I wish I could actually say it, but now that Iruka-_sensei _was actually paying attention I had to sign it to him instead. Luckily _Nee-chan_ taught us signing forever ago, otherwise I would totally lose my mind in this class!

**#Hi-hi, totally have plan. Sound-**_**fuuin**_**. Need Dragon. Help?# **I totally laughed at remembering that to make Hi-_chan_'s code name, I had to use the sign for 'light' twice. It was kinda weird, but in Senju Battle Signs using the same sign twice meant it was small. Using much or more made it big. So Hi-_chan_'s codename was 'little light' or 'little fire'. My code name kinda sucked though: 'small small', or 'Chibi'. Hi-_chan _came up with it to get back at me for calling him 'little light' when we were choosing our codenames.

I had to create the sign for 'totally' though. I sooo don't get why no one else would think of creating it before!

**#Affirmative.#** I was sitting next to _Nee-chan_, but if I signed to her Iruka-sensei would see it, and we totally couldn't have him know what we were planning. He was sooo going to totally flip his lid on this one! Hi-_chan _hummed something I couldn't follow. That was his and _Nee-chan_'s way of communicating during class. He was brainy enough to figure out how to take signing and turn that into some octave musical language-thingy.

**#Dragon requests details.#** Details? Am I like the leader now, or something?

**#Chibi makes seal. Dragon powers seal with**_**ototon**_**. Dragon activates seal. Dolphin-**_**taichou**_**totally wets pants.#** That would totally work! Now, I better get started on the seal. Wait, nooo. Iruka-_sensei _would totally see me working on it. But If I started working on it when he starts his droning, he would be like totally busy and will think I am taking a lot of notes! Sweet! This could sooo work!

**#Dragon is unsure. Requests more details.#** Hmm, good point. What do I want this seal to do? Oh, I know.

**#Chibi makes seal to change much noise 2 0 noise. Totally!#**

**#Confirm. Two Zero Noise. Confirm.#** Silly Nilly.

**#Negative Hi-hi. Convert much noise to zero noise.#** I spelled out zero that time. Silly boy.

**#Understood.#** Well, he totally needs to start reading my signs better. He like almost sent the whole plan into confusion!

I could see _Nee-chan_'s lips curl up into a subtle smile after half a minute. **#Dragon affirms. Commence on Dragon's mark.#** It was sooooo hard to not smile at that too. But if I smiled, the cat was totally out of the bag,

**#Understood.# **Now it was just a waiting game. Well, at least I could totally start planning out my seal. I sooo hope I can get it to work properly in time...

* * *

"... so on March 23rd in 1465 RS, Hanzou the Salamander is finally defeated in honourable combat; handing the reins of power over to..." I was one of the lucky ones that had something interesting to totally focus on. Who cares about a lizard in _Ame_? Seals were soooo much cooler. Totally!

'_Okay, I think this is it. I designed a 'blackhole' trap door to store all energy of a certain type within a perimeter of_:

A=(E^3*16/(Ohm-natural*3))/30T^2

Where A is the affected Area in millimetres.

E is the energy put into the seal in Joules.

Ohm-natural is the natural resistance to the element in Mega-Ohms.

T is time in seconds.

'_Now since the natural sound resistance in the average classroom is actually pretty low, but not low enough to multiply the matter; so it's a liability here. And time is a total bummer!_'

**#Hi-hi. Seal complete. Awaiting mark.#** There was a short pause.

**#Dragon requests calculations.#**

**#Negative. Seal is totally stable. Request full throttle.#**

**#Confirm. Full throttle. Confirm.#**

**#Affirmative! Totally!#** This is going to be good! I figure at full throttle, _Nee-chan_ might be able to knock out all communication within the Academy for at least an hour. That would be sooooo cool! Sure, we'd get in trouble, but it'd be totally worth it!

True, I could have made it more long term, but I needed time to be a major factor so that it would wear off on its own. No point in risking long term damage, right? Totally the right thing to do.

**#Mark in T minus ten seconds. Confirm.#**

**#Totally!#**

When the countdown reached zero,_ Nee-chan_ reached over and slammed her whole palm on the seal. I was about to jump back in shock, when it hit me. Nothing could be heard. Nothing. Iruka's droning was completely muted, as were the now obviously rejoicing students surrounding us. Iruka looked like he was going to blow a fuse in his head! El Oh El!

* * *

"... do you have any idea how mu-... -ou three have caused this time! I ought to... -f weren't for _Hokage-sama_ you all wou-... STOP PLAYING WITH THAT SEAL!" Iruka-_sensei _was totally Pee Oh-ed. Majorly. The fact that _Nee-chan_ was practising with the newest seal in her arsenal right in the middle of his rant was soooo not helping. That is actually a habit of hers. I totally rock at seals, so I make them on the spot when I need them. She totally claims anything that catches her eye though! I don't mind so much, seeing that I owe her sooo much.

"Tatsuko-_chan_, may I have a look at that?" Hokage-sama asked her.

"That is sooo not happening; _Nee-chan_ is totally possessive of her things. I remember the one time I-"

"If _Hokage-sama_ asks you to do something you do it!" Iruka-sensei really needs to have his blood pressure checked.

"Have you been drinking too much coffee?" I sooo shouldn't have asked, because he was obviously suffering from acute nicotine deficiency. Smokers everywhere suffer from it, though I totally didn't peg him for a cancer stick user.

"Iruka-_kun_, I think I can handle it from here."

"..." Luckily for us, unluckily for _sensei_, _Nee-chan_ chose that exact moment to test the seal again. His lips moved, and he bowed reverently, but no one would ever know what he said. And since he left before the light itch in my ears subsided, I totally think he just bugged out and ran! Ownage!

"Tatsuko-_chan_, please stop antagonizing your Academy instructor." Oh Em Gee! _Hokage-sama_ is totally fighting to not laugh! "You three do realise that your little prank blotted out all sounds for miles in every direction?" He was more serious this time. Totally not cool. That was a fun prank! And I totally refuse to accept that anyone could possibly be hurt by it!

"You three have no idea what kind of position I am placed in." Totally serious. "On the one hand, there is proper decorum and your prank disturbed not only your class but many serious business meetings throughout Konoha. The fact remains though, that Yuuna-_chan_managed to defuse the seal - and therefore an indeterminable timespan where everyone in its effective radius, for all intents and purposes, would be deaf - lessens that somewhat."

"On the other hand, Yuuna has just created a very useful seal that deserves a lot of study to assess the potential."

"Which is hereby denied to the public and/or _shinobi_ ranks." Uh oh. _Nee-chan_ has that gleam in her eye again. This is sooo not going to end well.

"But-" The Hokage was pouting? _KAWAII_!

"But nothing. Until we are officially graduated and ensconced by the _hitae-ate_ of Konoha, we are mere civilians. As such, our services are renderable - and therefore deniable - to any we so choose." Go _Nee-chan_. Go _Nee-chan_. Go, go, go _Nee-chan_.

"And what would you like in return for this seal's mysteries?" He actually smiled at her? Jeez, _Nee-chan_ has some weird powers over this old guy.

"You know what I want, and so far you have successfully withheld it from me."

"Am I to understand that you willingly overpowered the seal to that extent just to be escorted to my office in what is usually the calmest part of my day?"

"No, that was Yuuna's idea, well the overpowering it anyway. I went along with the prank to be sent here though. And with Iruka-_sensei _gone, you really have no excuse why you can't do it. Now are you going to be a man about it, or not?" Okay... Totally not following. Can we go back a few steps here, I am sooo lost.

"Thirty-two hours. That has got to be a record, you know that?" _Hokage-sama_ placed his kage hat neatly on the desk and walked around. Of course we were standing at attention more or less two metres from his desk, so he didn't come too close to us when he finished a half lap around his desk and half sat on its top.

Without warning Tatsuko jumped into the Hiruzen's happily waiting arms, embracing the girl he had thought so many times he had lost forever. Even I could see, even though it was brief, they were reunited. Not as head of state and civilian, not as principal and student (which was technically the case since Hokage was the head position over the Ninja Academy). Not even as _Hokage _and _kunoichi_.

A man in the winter of his life, was reconciled with his granddaughter in the spring of hers. "I've missed you, Saru-_ji-chan_."

"And I, you, _Tsu-chan_."

'_Kawaii!_'

* * *

Well, after that heart warming scene, _Nee-chan_ decided to drag us to the library to make up for the day of class we were missing out on. Something was different about _Nee-chan_; she was smiling. I mean like, smiling-smiling. Like the eyes twinkling, face glowing, can't help but laugh at the stupidest thing smiling. She was totally giddy!

"Hi-_chan_, I think _Nee-chan_ is totally crushing on _Hokage-sama_." I teased as we scoured the library for the books we wanted. Hi-_chan _was totally going for one of those acupuncture books again, it was becoming a theme with him. _Nee-chan_ was totally looking for a new book on psychological profiling, with a side of _katon_/_suiton jutsu_ scrolls.

As for me? I was sooo going to write _Hokage-sama_ a letter of complaint regarding the distinct lack of the 'Pretty Pink Pony and friends' series I was totally hooked on. But seeing that _Nee-chan_ was about to tell me something waaay harsh, I decided to go with my second best bet: Designing a master seal, Prodigy edition - by Namikaze Minato. Who knew that _Yondaime-sama_ wrote a book? I was soooo getting a copy to keep at home!

As I lost myself in the PSDs, Algorithms, designing the perfect seal by the power of elimination, advanced calculus for seals masters... _Kami-sama_, I **love **_fuuinjutsu_! Anyway, as I got lost in the sheer vastness and totally attractive way to explain the subject, something struck me. Uzumaki Naruto was still alone.

"_Nee-chan_?" I ventured, hoping that she would hear me. I was totally whispering to not alert the Librarian that we were in the _Jounin _section of the library - we were already there, so she can just go suck on some cheese.

"I already started the process. Naruto should officially be our responsibility by day's end." _Kami-sama_, how does she do that? She totally just read my mind!

"But-"

"Hikaru's keeping an eye on him for us until then." Like, big eyed smiley! I am sooo going to learn how to do that! Mind reader _no-jutsu_! Ohhh poopie!

"But-"

"Hikaru's already learned **that **jutsu from Aoba-_sensei_- and he uses it better than both of us combined. If anything is going on, we'll know." Okay, this is sooo not funny any more. I am sooo writing a letter of complaint to _Hokage-sama_ about this.

"But-"

"I already told Naruto to meet us here after class lets out. So we only have to wait about two hours for him. Do you want to start looking for some books for him?"

"But-"

"_Imouto-chan_, he's fine. Or do you doubt that your Hi-_chan _can actually track him that well?"

I paused to think about that. I had managed to make like thirty crows when I really focussed, so if Hi-_chan _was better that that there should be no problem right? "I just-"

"I know, _Imouto-chan_. I know." She looked up from her book and our eyes met for a long silent moment. "That's why we're doing something about it."

"But-"

"We can't change the past, _Imouto-chan_. All we can do is make the future better." I am sooo going to learn how to do that!

* * *

Time seemed to pass all too quickly as I started bringing up favourite jutsu style even further, totally helping it to reach brand new heights. If _Nee-chan_ were to analyse it for me, she would sooo compare it to playing a piano piece designed for twelve fingers... or something unrealistic like that. Totally not my thing!

So when Naruto-_nii _finally showed up I was more than happy to get my nose out of that book for a few seconds. Don't push your luck though, I was sooo coming back for more!

"Welcome to the book club, are you a new member?" Hi-_chan _teased, he didn't even look up from his book. Bookworm!

"I... uh... ummmm... that is..." Totally not focussed. He is sooo going to learn to change that!

"Just sit down." _Nee-chan_ instructed. "Do you know why you're here?" Oh Em Gee! We were totally doing the Godfather scene! _I am going to make you an offer you can't refuse._ Total classic!

"Ummm... no?"

"We started coming here two days ago. We pick out one or two books and study them as best we can using three separate but closely related techniques." Okaaay, so that was why she kept asking me what was written on page X somewhere in the middle of the page. Totally not cool to do that without warning! Or at least consent!

"The reason is simple, even though Iruka-_sensei_ is trying to teach us, we have to teach ourselves. If you want in our little group, you will have to learn to swim and fly right alongside us." Okay, we totally never go swimming any more! And I sooo don't remember flying anywhere!

"Why are you doing this?" Naruto-_nii _asked subdued.

"Because no one else will." You sooo don't need to say it like that.

"So why are you any different?" Umm, duh? And people tell me that I'm clueless?

"Birds of a feather, I suppose." Was Hikaru using his _Kurogaresu no-jutsu_ again? I sooo didn't see any birds around anywhere!

Naruto-_nii _looked really, really... I mean like totally disheartened. My heart totally went out to him, totally getting how he felt!

"Look, I am not expecting you to trust us because we helped you out. I am not asking you to be buddy buddy with us because we ask you to sit down to a table with us that we are not even really allowed to sit down at." Okay, this is totally counter-intuitive!

"So what are you trying to do?" Yeah, _Nee-chan_, what are you trying to do?

"I am trying to free your mind." Morpheus? This is sooo AU; and did he totally _henge _into my _Nee-chan_? Sooo not cool!

Even Hi-_chan_'s eyebrow shot up at _Nee-chan_'s totally Oh Oh Cee words.

"Huh?" Naruto-_nii_ was totally confugled! Ditto!

"Tell, me Uzumaki. Why do people hate you?"

"..." Total confugulation! Poor thing was totally uninformed. What would I be like if _Nee-chan_ had never started teaching me? A total ditz, no doubt about it. No redeeming feature either. I am sooo writing to the Hokage about that too! I'd better make a list, now what was the first thing he needed to hear about again?

"I don't know." When Naruto-_nii_ finally uttered those words a book I picked out for him was jostled across the table only to stop with the writing the right way up for him too read. "The Uzumaki Clan, the story behind the legend - by Uzumaki Mito?"

"You will have more questions when you are finished, but you will understand a lot more." He eyed the eight-hundred sixty two page book suspiciously. "Lesson one: power reading."

* * *

"So the Uzumaki clan and the Senju clan are distant relatives? As in the Senju clan that founded Konoha?" Naruto-_nii_'s underused mind was abustle with new ideas, information and - le gasp - thoughts!

"Closer than you might think. Uzumaki Mito was the _Shodai Hokage_'s wife. And the _Uzushio-gakure_ swirl decorates the uniforms of each and every Konoha _shinobi_."

"Seriously?" Naruto was quick to find out that making any noise and alerting the librarian would really Pee Oh _Nee-chan_ - courtesy of an activated 'soundless seal' and a totally bruised shoulder - so he made sure to talk softly like the rest of us.

"Seriously, and the Kitsunaga clansmen were their most loyal retainers." I rolled my eyes at her creative explanation.

"Retainers? Buy only-"

"Only royalty are allowed to have retainers?" And there comes the first of many odd questions in _Nii-san_'s mind. "You're right. The Senju, Uzumaki and Uchiha clans are the only _shinobi _clans in _Hi no kuni_ that were considered royalty and were therefore allowed to have retainers."

"But I thought-"

"That the Uzumaki were from the Whirlpool Country and therefore should have no legal standing in the Fire Country?" That mind reader _no-jutsu_ is dangerous! "Technically you're right, but seeing that the ties between the Senju and Uzumaki clans were so close the Uzumaki clan was officially instated in the Fire Country's nobility in addition to their home country."

"But if I'm-"

"Royalty, why are you so hated in a village that bears your clan's markings so intimately?" You know what, I'm going to start looking for that _jutsu_ scroll! Right now!

"Did you notice that you are not the only one hated in Konoha?" Naruto could only dumbly nod at that. He clearly didn't like it, but it was kinda hard not to notice. "Who are the others?"

"Well," He looked around at us curiously. I could totally tell what he was thinking! "You guys, I guess." I totally knew he was going to say that! That sooo deserves a high five!

"What do we have in common then?" Are those crickets chirping? Oh Em Gee! I totally hear crickets!

"When you understand that, Naruto, then you will have the answers you seek. Until then, here is the next book you need to read." Uzumaki _Fuuinjutsu _101, where it all began - by Uzumaki Kushina.

Totally a must read!

_**End Chapter 15**_

* * *

**A/N: Kiravu! Kiravu! Kiravu! Poor thing had to read this at least three times through! Poor thing. She really hates the type of girl Yuuna is :S So please, those of you that know Kiravu, please thank her!**

**I may have produced this fairly quickly, but I had a LOT of trouble with it! That was actually the whole point behind it. As a writer I want to be able to capture the spirit of my character completely, and I think I did it annoyingly well! Tell me what you think guys, did you love Yuuna before and hate her now? Do you think I overdid it a bit with the American ditzy chick persona? I would usually ask Kiravu, but I know her answer lol, she hates Yuuna with a passion now :P If you see a bimbo getting stabbed in her fics, you know it's really Yuuna in there lol.**

**Question though! Does anyone miss my little outtakes with the characters at the end of the chapter? I am thinking of putting them back in, and in some cases start throwing in an Omake from time to time. No, not as a chapter in itself, I mean at the end of a chapter. Tell me what you think, okay!**

**_Taichou_- Captain.**

**Hitae-ate - Forehead protector, headband. That thing that identifies what village you hail from.**

**Hi no kuni - Fire country.**

**Ame no Kuni - Rain country.**

**_Henge_- Transformation/transform.**

**Confugled/confugulation - Thoroughly confused/thorough confusion. Don't try to use this word at home; it is known to give you blond streaks in your hair! You have been warned.**


	16. Arc2: Student 3, Defining a demon

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students**_

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Flashback Chapter~**

**~Yuuna POV~**

"A group home, huh?" What else was there to say? Yukikami-_san _was dead, Hikaru stopped talking all together, Tatsuko was turning bipolar - always either extremely upset or extremely depressed (okay, so she wasn't exactly clinically bipolar, or clinically depressed, but she is SOOO not her usual self!)... nothing was going right anymore.

"I believe it is safest for you three there." _Hokage-sama_ explained evenly.

"So you're just gonna brush us off? Throw us away? Just because I couldn't protect _Tou-chan_!" Tatsuko cried out, crying into her palms. No one had been allowed to touch her since her father was murdered in front her eyes. Not physically, not emotionally. Everyone was forcefully shoved out of her life.

"Tsu-_chan _I-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Her voice boomed like an explosion going off inside everyone's head. High potential for ototon didn't carry over well in emotional states. She could probably make your head explode just by calling your name right now. "_TOU-CHAN_ IS THAT ONLY PERSON THAT WILL EVER CALL ME THAT! DO YOU HEAR ME!" The girl is hysterical. I can't really say I fault her for it; she already blamed herself for the Yukikami and Kitsunaga massacres, almost three years ago now. Though how she figured that one out is beyond my ken.

Hiruzen took off his _kage_'s hat, placing it gently on his desk. Slowly, calmly he made his customary half lap and half sat down nearest to the three of us. I knew what he was doing with ease, it wasn't hard to tell really. We only went through this every other time we entered his office. That was when Yukikami Tatsuhi-_sama _was alive though; that was when Yukikami Tatsuko was still alive.

Seconds, minutes... who knows how much time went by in tense anticipation. The only person alive that I can honestly say I owe my sanity to was now but a broken shell of her former self. Her near perfect emotional control was now in tatters.

Sure, if you asked Hi-_chan _he would deny that outright. To him she would always be that girl that got mad way too quick, that girl that would always physically knock sense into him. But that was just the way she was to him.

To me, she was Heaven sent. In the months, and dare I say years, following my clan's massacre, she was the rock on which I stood. She was everything I could ever wish for and more.

So just standing here, watching her slip away one tear at a time... I don't think a harsher punishment exists. Yet she wouldn't let anyone in.

It must have been a good half hour before _Hokage-sama_ finally realized that she was not going to give him her customary hug, or exchange their customary 'I've missed you'. Still, he did not budge from his perch.

That's when the world went to hell, announced by a firm single knock on the door. Uchiha Fugaku came in without awaiting permission to enter, unceremoniously plopped a stack of papers (official documents as far as I could tell) on the desk beside his superior and callously announced the worst thing he could have: "Senju Tatsuko now belongs to the Uchiha clan."

Without missing a beat, _Hokage-sama_ asked him to clarify that statement. "Tatsuhi and I had agreed to an arranged marriage between Itachi and Tatsuko and in event of his death she was to be handed over to my clan. That pile is proof. Official copies of our agreement, his will as head of the Yukikami clan and legal guardian of the head of the Senju clan. In it clearly stipulates that Senju Tatsuko is his sole heir and therefore she gets everything. Of course that means that the Senju and Yukikami coffers and compounds are now privied to my son, who is by law her husband, as per our agreement."

The world stood still as the old man ruffled through the papers. Hi-_chan_ was rigid with furious anticipation. "You will of course excuse my suspicion as to the timing and lack of reverence to her father. Especially since I heard no whisper of any of this."

"You are _Hokage_, not an all knowing _kami_, heedless of your former moniker."

"And the fact that his signature could easily be forged by using the _Sharingan_?"

"What are you playing at, old man?"

"I will take this into consideration, however as her legal guardian I will allow no such decisions to be made until she has had time to heal."

"I think you are succumbing to old age. Legally you are her _Hokage_, nothing more. Tatsuhi's signature attests to that. She is now an Uchiha. So I suggest you mind your-"

"Heedless of any documentation, agreements and proof you claim to, Fugaku, this is my grandchild. If you think I won't kill you were you stand for pulling this stunt now, then you forget who you are talking to. I will look into the matter you bring before me. Now leave!"

"This isn't over." Fugaku claimed as he stormed out. I will always regret stealing a glance at Tatsuko just then. Her eyes were wide with shock, but just below the surface lay the fruits of the ultimate betrayal: she was being sold to the devil himself.

* * *

If Tatsuko was a mess before, she was a zombie now. She never spoke another voluntary word, never took another bite to eat. Even sleeping seemed to be against her principals.

To be fair though, the lack of sleep was understandable. Everytime she went to sleep, the whole group home we were assigned to knew about it. No matter what time it happened, no matter how tired she was, the result was always the same.

"_TOU-CHAN_!" She jumped out of her sleep violently, almost explosively. You could easily see the carnage and death in her eyes. Well it was no better than the simply dead eyes she normally wore. "...don't leave me..." Another day, another nightmare. If only she would cry afterwords, that would at least tell me that she is dealing with it. But everytime I ran to her, to comfort her the result was always the same: "...leave me alone... everyone leaves me alone..." That became her mantra, her reply to every thing. Even asking her to pass the salt.

After going through the exact same scene with her the first twenty times, it was getting hard to not break down myself. Seeing it had been happening since the first day we were there - nearly a week ago - it might be a bit more understandable.

"Why don't we take a nice long soak in the _furo_?" I offered, franticly looking for something, anything, to calm her erratic nerves.

'_It worked!_' She was washing her hair, for the first time since last week! Ew! Her shoulders were still sagged, and her back still hunched in depression, but she was doing something other than staring, or screaming! Victory!

"I was thinking that we could head down to your old dance studio, maybe see if your _sensei _is willing to help you polish up on your dancing?" I'm grasping at straws, can you tell? "_Ne_, Tatsuko-_chan_, would... you-" Oh no. She's staring at her trembling, soap covered hands; her eyes are wide in shock... She's not even asleep, but the nightmare continues.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" She shrieked so loud, so high pitched, that I honestly began wondering if she was possessed. Over, and over, and over she would claw away at the shampoo on her hands and on her face. Her breathing was hitched to the point I thought she was going to hyperventilate.

"What's going on here?" Reimi-_san _ran into the furo, trying to take in the whole scene at once. Quicker than I knew was possible, she filled a bucket with cold water and splashed Tatsuko, carefully rinsing her hair and removing every trace of the offending shampoo. "It's gone, see? All gone." Only, Tatsuko's eyes weren't seeing anything; I'm pretty sure she could hear, but I was even more sure that she wasn't listening.

"It's all right, child, it's all right." Reimi-_san _wrapped her arms carefully around the distraught girl in her care, bathing her in the soft warmth I wish I could give her. Feeling guilty, I made my way over hoping to give my former saviour a hug; to offer the solace she had always offered me. But before I could even get close, I was stopped.

"I know you want to help, but you are too warm. Her senses are confusing warmth with blood, if you want to touch her, run cold water over yourself first." Confusing warmth for blood? She thought the shampoo was blood! No wonder she freaked the way she did!

Quickly, I turned on the cold water tap and drenched myself in cold water, as cold as I could bare. Then I rushed over to Tatsuko, hugging her from behind. She didn't turn me away, she didn't flinch. Nothing. Well, not 'nothing'; she shivered slightly from the cold, but nothing else. Reimi-_san_ is AWESOME!

"...he's gone..." Tears were streaming down her face. This woman was a miracle worker! Hi-_chan_ and I had tried for days for her to say anything useful - or even cry - but she would only stare at us. Other than the wake up screams, she never made a peep - on purpose.

"I'm here." Reimi-_san_ soothed. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

"...he's gone..." A soft, almost soothing sis was Reimi-_san_'s only reply the second time around.

"Sss-sss-sss-sss-ssssssss." Reimi's old-fashioned house kimono was now soaked clean through from the water dripping off the two of us, but she barely seemed to notice, let alone care. She held on to Tatsuko almost as tightly as Tatsuko clung to her.

* * *

Later that day, Hi-_chan _took Tatsuko (_Kami-sama_ it's so weird not calling her Tsu-chan) out for a long walk, and probably some sparring. That left me with nothing to do. All children who were there shorter than six months weren't required to help around the house - grieving time, we were told. Well, what better way to spend the day, than learning from a master?

"How did you know?" I asked Reimi-_san _while she was cleaning her kitchen. The kitchen was large; huge even. There was probably enough space for a dozen people to work comfortably, but she was the only person on staff in the group home. Weird, but true.

"Know what, sugar?" She asked in her usual singsong voice.

"How to reach her?" Reimi smiled warmly at me.

"I've been in charge of this home for nearly twenty years now. I've dealt with orphans of every kind. From the ice cold ones like your sister, to the passionately overreacting ones like Uzumaki Naruto." Uzumaki... Naruto? But I thought- "No two cases are the same, but the right answer is always loving them with all your heart."

"But how did you know about the 'warmth equals blood' thing?" She was dancing around the answer, I was used to dealing with that. If only Tatsuko...

"She's not the first one to come in with that. Her reaction wasn't even all that bad, really. You should'a been here with Ieyoshi, he left about six years ago. He had it worse. When they found him just outside that village a' his, the blood had dried on every part of his little body. He swore off liquids altogether. Had ta get him to drink outta soda cans and a straw for nearly a decade! And don't get me started on bathin' him."

"But her father's neck was broken. Sure, he had some stab wounds, but there wasn't enough blood for that!" I was there to identify the body, I should know! Poor Hi-_chan _was too emotional to even look, but I saw every wound... they hadn't even had the chance to clean him up properly yet. Damn customs!

"Sugar, you can tell me that all you want to, but that child was bathed in blood from the reports I got. And her reaction to warm liquids tells me it was fresh blood too. Now, I'm not saying it was all from one source, but I know what I know better than you can imagine."

Not... all... from... one... source?

/_"Nee-chan likes to double punish people." Hi-chan explained, after I asked him why he was still so worried about his sister. He had two black eyes and a bloody nose, so I thought he would be more upset than afraid. I had only been living with them for a short while, so I didn't really know them all that well._

_"Double punish?"_

_"Yeah, as in twice. The first one is physical; she hits you really hard, but it's the best way to figure out how bad round two will be."_

_"Round two?"_

_"Yeah. Nee-chan is a hard core strategist. She can out-scheme anyone when she wants to. Hell, I've been on the receiving end often enough to know..." He subconsciously rubbed his left side, obviously remembering something that happened. "Anyway, the harder she hits you, the worse you can figure round two will be. So if her first reaction isn't bad, then forget it. You probably won't even notice the second round... but if round one scares you..." Hi-chan shivered at the very thought of it._

_"No way, she's nothing like that." I defended Tsu-chan. She had been everything to me from the moment I walked into her life, there is no way she was that vindictive!_

_"I've known the girl all my life, I should know..."_ /

/_"She's in severe shock, Hokage-sama. None of the blood is her's though, so it's likely emotional trauma." Kenichi-sensei explained calmly. Tsu-chan was sleeping peacefully - having just succumbed to the sedatives - under his and Hokage-sama's watchful eyes._

_"That is not surprising. According to her own account, she saw the men that killed her father. Truthfully, she is holding up far better than I had reason to believe."_

_"She saw it happen, Hokage-sama?" _

_"That's what she said. I believe her exact words were: '...they killed him. I was so in shock that I didn't move... couldn't move... they killed him...'. How does this affect her prognosis?" He quoted her perfectly, but the tones didn't match. I remember her being so lost, so upset, so sad... so many things at once._

_"Well..."_/

Oh... Holy... Fucking... Shit...

'_Who ever those men were, they should cherish what time they have left. If that really was round one..._' I shivered, finally understanding Hi-c_han_'s healthy fear of his sister.

* * *

The next morning, we were called into _Hokage-sama_'s office. It wasn't hard to figure out what was going on, seeing that Fugaku was already in the office waiting.

"Good morning." _Hokage-sama_ greeted us warmly, hoping to evoke a similar response. He didn't look terribly shocked when I was the only one to return the greeting.

"It seems a majority vote against me has decided how this will progress." He began cryptically. "The official documents delivered to me last week are indeed legitimate documents, and as such there is nothing I can do. Legally, Tatsuko is now an Uchiha, engaged to be wed to Itachi. As such, Tatsuko, you are moving into the Uchiha compound later today."

"**Bullshit**." Hi-_chan_ ground out menacingly. Ice - not condensation, but actually frozen moisture from the air - was forming on every surface, so it wasn't hard to figure out that he was to the point of exploding.

"This is not a discussion, this is your _Hokage_ laying down the law, dragon whelp." Fugaku happily, but snidely informed us. I looked to Tatsuko-_chan_, hoping that she knew some way to get out of this. There was simply no way I was going to take this sitting down!

"Funny," Tatsuko began, "that my supposed husband is not here to collect me himself." I know that look! I sooo know that look! She's back! Tsu-_chan _is back! Her eyes are harsher than normal, her body language more tense, but I know that stance and the facial expression: she has a plan! _Kami-sama_, that took a while.

"I assure you, Senju-_hime_, he will pick you up at exactly six-thirty this evening in person. Make sure you are ready, as he is not a patient man."

"I see, and if I am to marry your heir, should there not be more than just him to carry my things?" She's back, she's back, she's back!

"Don't test me, child."

"Test you? You demand I honour an avowed marriage that I know nothing about, yet you expect me to live below my station? Surely you know better than that! No man in his right man offers so great a prize to slavery." That obviously hit a nerve.

"And what would our _Kori-hime_ demand of her new station in life?"

"Perhaps I was being unclear, there is no new station. I am to continue my life as I see fit, or you shall achieve nothing." Ouch. Does this man know who he's dealing with?

"And what would I so desire to achieve?" False sarcasm 101, that class started like a week ago. You are sooo going to fool me, buster!

"Amassing power, near limitless wealth, enhaneced status within the Council and therefore Konoha. I am a treasure trove to your clan, so treat me as such, or you shall eternally regret it." Even _Hokage-sama_ was smiling now.

"And what would you know about it, child?" The eyebrow raising slightly, the almost imperceptible widening of the eyes, who are you trying to kid?

"As _Tou-chan_'s sole heir, I hold the Yukikami seat in the council, in addition to the Senju seat I already held. That adds two seats to your sway with the Council. You could simply second your own plots and no one could stop it from going to a vote." Strike one. "The vast, if not limitless, Senju clan fortune stored for generations could probably buy you a new village, so that is not exactly something to not desire." Strike two, is she even trying to embarrass the man? Well it's working.

"And the icing on the cake is the Senju's vast _jutsu _library, which I'm sure your clan would simply _kill _to get their hands on." She said 'kill' a little funny, was she hinting at something? Was the Uchiha clan behind Yukikami-_san_'s death? And now they were trying to claim Tsu-_chan_? She was trying to tell the Hokage what this was all about?

"Interesting claim, Tatsuko-_chan_. Is there something you want to tell me? Seeing that you never once revealed the identities of your father's murderers."_ Hokage-sama_ figured it out! _Yatai_!

"Nothing that Konoha will ever be able to prove." Her voice was cold, freezing... No, in fact she was making the South Pole look like a tropical paradise!

"I see." Hokage's calculating eyes briefly flicked to Fugaku, then back to Tsu-_chan_. "I will leave it in your capable hands then. Please do drop by later so that I may congratulate your husband to be personally." Huh? I thought there was a plan! What kind of plan includes Tsu-_chan_ moving... in... to... the Uchiha compound... filled with Uchiha... who murdered her father...

Suddenly I have a headache. And somehow I think it will only get worse over the coming months. "Round two is always the roughest, _ne_ Hi-_chan_?" I whispered. His eyes went from the cold hard killer persona he liked to pretend to be, to a proud little brother who was seeing his sister off to war.

* * *

Time moved slowly after that. We never heard hide nor hair of Tsu-_chan_, but we knew she was doing just fine. However, that left Hikaru and I mostly to our own devices. Hi-_chan _still never opened his mouth for anything other than eating, but his eyes were not as dismal as they were.

Which means I had to find someone new to talk to, seeing that talking to Hi-_chan _like a moving wall was no fun. Reimi-_san_,_ Kami-sama_ bless her heart, was a lot of fun to talk to, but she never had any time to spare. That left only the other orphans... well the ones that didn't run from me on sight. That didn't leave me with a whole lot of options.

Well, there were two Ii girls that Reimi-_san _said were her nieces. They were living there, but it mostly to help around the home - cooking, cleaning, minding the younger ones, that sort of thing. They talked really funny though, always saying either 'totally' or 'sooo' in every sentence. Always one or the other, only both when the situation demands. There were rules in it? Well, they claimed so.

"This is like totally the best way to disguise our skills as _kunoichi_, right Yu?" The taller of the pair bragged proudly.

"Like, duh! This is like total mental camouflage, Ise. No one would ever be able to tell we were actually the youngest female ANBU _Hokage-sama_ ever picked for his personal ANBU guards." I guess that would make this one Yu? Great ANBU outfits, highlighted green tube tops and pink miniskirts. Goes great with black hair and red highlights - and let's not forget the orange, three inch heel pumps sure...

Yeah, ANBU, in a fancy orphanage... sure. These girls were about fourteen, I guess - which was in itself not all the likely to get them recognized by_ Hokage-sama_. Oh well, better two crazies than no friends at all right? ... right...? RIGHT!

"Yuuna, stop talking to the crazies,_ Hokage-sama _wants us in his office." Hi-_chan _actually spoke? And is he reading my mind now too? He and his sister must have some kind of _kekkei genkai_ for mind reading _jutsu_.

"Coming, Hi-_chan_!" I dashed off behind him. I'm sooo going to get him to teach me that _jutsu_!

* * *

"Please tell me there's no more bad news, _Hokage-sama_." Hi-_chan _practically begged with his eyes. Well, we hadn't been in _Hokage-sama_'s office for any good news recently, so I can't blame the guy.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the _Shinobi no Kami_... laughed? Huh? What about some tense stare down, or something. Anything? He just laughed? And is still laughing mind you! Hmph.

"No, Hikaru-_kun_. Nothing's wrong. Quite the opposite. It seems that your sister is making my life easier right now. She actually sent a letter for you, and asked me to deliver it personally, but also to destroy it the second you read it." Huh?

Hikaru took his precious time reading the scroll, scowling all the while. After it was reduced to dust, and swept up into the garbage receptacle, Hikaru smiled too? Huh? I feel left out.

"I take it you're in?"

"Was that a question?"

"Tsu-_chan_ said you would never turn this offer down. Well, at any rate, I would like to introduce your ANBU trainers. Until the time is right, they will also double as bodyguards." With that two girls waltzed in, wearing ANBU standard issue armour, and cocky smiles on their faces.

"Ditz-speak totally confused another pair!" The taller one spoke first.

"Totally! Check out the clueless looks on their faces! _Nee-chan_, we are sooo bad."

"Touché, _Imouto-chan_. Tou-ché."

"So these are the two _Nee-chan_ picked? Well, she was right, no one would ever accuse them of being ANBU." Hikaru laughed. He actually laughed? Oh poopie! What was I missing!

"Yes, she personally recommended these two. They are both sensory types, so they will keep you safe until phase two can commence. Yuuna, please listen to what these two have to say, okay? They are going to help make you stronger." Why are they talking to me like a child...? Oh...! Oooooooooohhhh! I get it! They were trying to tell me something earlier... Mental camouflage?

"Like, totally, _Hokage-sama_! I'm sooo in." I tried to mimic their hand movements, and their intonation as best I could. Though I can't say for sure if I nailed it or not.

"Good, Hikaru, you are to keep a discrete eye on Naruto while Tsu-_chan_ is kept busy. She is counting on you. Can you handle that?" Okay... Why was Tatsuko keeping an eye on Naruto? What the heck is going on?

"Same technique as Yuuna?"

"Same techinique as Yuuna. Here's the first scroll for his public persona. It will be good for stealth training, trap making and infiltration techniques. I'm sure he won't complain about the notoriety that comes with the package. Please be discrete when you talk to him."

"This is sooo confusing." I complained openly.

"I know, but it is sooo going to pay off! Trust me, girlfriend. And we are sooo taking you-" That was the first time I heard my soon to be all-time favourite word in the world:

"**Shopping!**" They both announced and squealed happily.

'_If they think I am wearing those hideous colour combinations..._'

_**End Chapter 16**_

_**

* * *

**_

_**A/N: Hmmm, do I smell death on the horizon? I hope you people appreciate how much was revealed in this chapter! I planned all those confusing winding roads life forever ago! Now, slowly but surely things are falling into place. Don't worry, the end of this Arc will not be the end of this story. Just so you guys know, the team assignments have been weeded out. We are not seeing the Cannon teams this time around. Nooo, we are going to have some fun with the new teams and the new interactions between them. **_

_**Now, seriously, does anyone feel bad for the Uchiha clan? I sure don't. And they will not be getting any favours from me! Tatsuko seems to agree too! We are going to see in the next few chapters what a pissed of strategist can do to the 'currently' mostly powerful clan in Konoha. **_

_**Next up: Arc2: Student 4, what scroll, dattebayo!**_

_**Kori-hime**_** - Ice princess.**

_**Kekkei genkai**_** - Bloodline limit. Yuuna is being sarcastic here, so don't fret.**


	17. Arc2: Student 4, What scroll, dattebayo!

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students**_

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Flashback Chapter~  
****~Naruto POV~**

"_**TEME**_! You better stop disrespecting me! Cause I'm gonna be the next Hokage, _dattebayo_!" Stupid Daikoku-_sensei_ sent me outta class again; something about it being way above my head, or him not wanting me to distract the others... or something. Who cares! I don't need to listen to him talking about catra! Who the heck likes cats anyway!

"Uzumaki, wait up!" The Yuki... yuki... whatever, the beady-eyed kid shouted. Well, he hates this school as much as it hates me, so I'm just a good excuse to skip class. I stopped to be nice, but I knew that no one gave a rat's ass about me, so I was not putting my hopes up with this guys either. I narrowed my eyes as he came closer. "Treat you to some ramen?"  
"What's the catch, beady-eyes?" He didn't even flinch at the name.  
"I'm hungry, and I really don't need Funeno-_sensei_ to explain me something that _Tou-san_ taught me before I was born. Now come on, let's eat, I'm starving!" I've never seen this guy talk this much. Especially since even I knew his old man was killed not even a month ago. Still, at least he knew who his father was. "Fine you don't want ramen? I'll eat a bowl in your honour then!" He dashed off leaving me behind. Wait, ramen!

Five bowls... six bowls... "Can I have another double order of pork ramen, Ayame-_nee-chan_?"  
"Of course, Naruto. _Tou-san_, another double order of pork ramen!" Ayame-_nee-san_, Teuchi-_jiji_, the only two people besides _Hokage-jiji_ that would even notice if I went missing. Well, the others would notice, but just wouldn't care.  
"Hai!" Teuchi-_jiji_ answered in his usually happy/Military-Sergeant voice.  
"Hey, Ichiraku-_san_, gimme another shrimp ramen, with a side of _Tsukune_!"  
"_Tou-san_, one shrimp ramen with a side of _Tuskune_."  
"_Hai_!" They were always like this. Even I knew that Teuchi-_jiji_ could hear the customers' orders, but they always did it like this. I didn't mind, it was nice to hear somebody getting along with someone else when I was around.  
"You know, Naruto, I'm glad you showed me this place! The food here is the best I've had in months!" Beady-eyes said.  
"Are you kidding me! IchiRaku Ramen stand has the best everything in Konoha!" I boasted. '_And they are willing to feed me too!_'  
"That's just what I'd expect to hear from our most loyal customer." Ayame-_nee-chan_ teased me. I rubbed the back of my head, embarrassed. Well, it was true, but I didn't really want beady-eyes to know I only eat here... unless I'm in a rush to get to school. Then I have the instant ramen cups Teuchi-_jiji_ makes sure I have in stock.

"So, Uzumaki, there was something I wanted to ask you." Here it comes, it always starts with '_I have a plan, and you're just the guy I need._' "How serious are you about becoming Hokage?" Huh?  
"Totally serious, _dattebayo_! Being _Hokage_ is my dream and I'll make it happen no matter what, _dattebayo_!"  
"Serious enough to start training to make it a reality?" Huh?  
"Yeah, of course! Why?" I need to be careful around this guy. He has something up his sleeve and I don't like it.  
"Well then you're going to love this. I have a scroll that you need to read in front of _Hokage-sama_. In it is a special training regimen and a mission that you need to do."

"Hold on right there! I know your type, _gaki_! You think you can trick-"  
"I have orders from _Hokage-sama_ himself, and I am telling Uzumaki to open and read the scroll in front of that very same _Hokage_. How is that a trick?" Huh? So _Hokage-jiji_ is finally starting to recognize my skills and wants to appoint me as his successor. Took him long enough!  
"I'll do it!" I grabbed the scroll and ran straight for the _Hokage_ tower.

* * *

"Naruto, what are you doing here? You are supposed to still be in class." _Hokage-jiji_ looked surprised to see me. I guess beady-eyes really was trying to trick me. "Ah, I see you've received the scroll I sent you. Are you interested in the offer to train?" Huh? He wasn't tricking me?

"Of course I am, _dattebayo_! Someone has to get strong enough to let you retire and enjoy your life, _dattebayo_!" I bragged, rubbing my finger under my nose and smirking knowingly. It was only a matter of time before I'm running this village, then everyone will have to acknowledge me! Everyone will stop and tell me how much they're sorry for ever doubting me!

"Very well, now please tell me why you are here so early. I wasn't expecting you until well after three o'clock." Oh, that's why he was so surprised to see me!

"Sensei sent me outta class. But that's beside the point, keeping _Hokage-jiji_ waiting is stupid, _dattebayo_!" I hope he's not mad at me for getting kicked out again. _Kuso_, stupid sensei. _Jiji_'s eyes narrowed, but luckily not on me. He's thinking something. He's always thinking something when he starts stroking that puff of hair on his chin. I wonder if I'll grow out my hair like that when I'm _Hokage_...

"Well, I will have it looked into. Naruto, if you suspect you are being sent out for unjust reasons, please let me know immediately." _Hokage-jiji_ is smarter than he looks, too bad the Academy instructors won't care.

Been there, hated that, moving on. Now, about this scroll.

**Naruto,**

**Reading this letter is the first step in a long journey to your becoming Hokage. Congratulations on your choice, now let's get down to business.  
****There are three main keys to achieving your dream: **_**Shin, Gi, Tai**_**. Senju Tobirama's favourite words - mind, technique, body. You must be willing to endure, to train harder than you ever thought you would to achieve your goal. Are you willing?  
__****Hokage-sama**** has another letter for you - or at least, he will by the time you prove you are willing. Yes, prove. You will have to prove that you are willing to endure anything to become the next **_**Hokage**_**.  
****Now here is what I want you to do: **_**Hokage-sama**_** has a map with three locations encircled that I need you to investigate. At each place you will find a scroll with instructions. Follow those instructions. Ask **_**Hokage-sama**_**, or Yukikami Hikaru, or anyone else you truly feel you can trust - which isn't going to be a whole lot of people.  
****A true friend wants you to succeed, and true enemy never will.  
****Good luck,**

_**Kuroikage**_**.**

"_Ne_, _Hokage-jiji_, about that map?"

* * *

"The Academy library? What the heck am I supposed to do here?" I couldn't help but ask that out loud, I mean come on! What are books gonna to teach me?  
"Uzumaki." Beady-eyes, huh? It figures he'd be here. That _Kuroikage_ seems to trust him, so he can't be all that bad. "Yo." He greeted me warmly.  
"Hikaru, right?" I guess I'm just not used to people being nice to me. He nodded gravely, before giving me another scroll and a book.  
"Enjoy, I'll be taking a snooze in the back row." Without another word he walked to the back of the large room and sat down at a table and promptly fell asleep. Jeez, is he and pineapple-head related?

'_Now let's see, the book is on basic chakra control. Boring! Let's check the scroll... Practical Pranking!_' I had to fight back the urge to jump up and down in excitement.  
I quickly opened the scroll and the first thing it I read really hurt... "Before reading, please study the book. It will make the pranks flow much better. Trust me." Fine, but only 'cause I have to!

"Chapter 1: meditation using _kuji-in_. Hand seals are used during meditation to study the internal chakra network. In the simplest terms, a chakra network can be compared to roads in a town or village. Each road, or chakra pathway, is meant to transport chakra from one point to another. The wider the road - or thicker the chakra pathway - the easier and faster any amount can be transported.

"Each _kuji-in_ (twelve major seals in total) allows you to pick a route though your chakra network, allowing specific amounts to travel to specific locations. This eventually allows a person to use _jutsu_, by carefully combining the chakra with physical energy."

Well that sounds easy enough, I guess.

"Step one to learning and mastering the hand seals is to meditate with each seal individually. They each affect your body in a positive way and are known for their vitality boosting effects." What followed was twelve pages describing each major seal; how to make them, a basic idea of what it does to your chakra network, what element each sign is attributed to... This is actually pretty cool! I like this little book. Too bad that was all the book described. But it was definitely enough to get me started, _dattebayo_! Now let's see, the first sign is...

* * *

'_Alone again. I hate being alone._' Hours of meditation to finally understand one handseal told me that that was going to be a long road, but at least it kept me busy. Now though... The only thing I could hear was my own breathing echo off the bare walls of my room. I was alone.

'_Even the guy that was supposed to be my roommate never once showed up. I guess he found out that he would have ended up with me. Who needs him anyway! ... who needs any of them..._'

I was too tired to focus on meditating; too awake to go to sleep. Just like my life, always stuck somewhere.

Tired of the same old tune; I looked around hoping to find something that would be enough to... something, anything... I dunno. Just something to take my mind off of things. Something to help me to not think for five minutes.

The walls were still bare, but the wood was beautiful. Unfinished wood, bare for all the world to see. I had no pictures of my family to decorate the room, seeing that I never had one. I had no friends either; no one seemed to want to be around me for very long.

I remember I used to play with some of the kids in the playground when I was younger... until their parents found out.

/ _"Why are you attacking my child? What did he ever do to you!" A tall woman asked. She was upset, and she seemed so worried. What did I do? I only asked if I could play with them on the swing. "You stay away from him, you demon!" _

_"What's going on here?" _

_"Isn't that __**that **__child?" _

_"No wonder she is so upset! I told my daughter to never go anywhere near __**him**__!"_

_"But I just wanted to play. I just wanted to play on the swing with someone. Can't I play on the swing?"_

_"You can do anything you want to, __**demon**__, so long as you stay away from our children!" What does demon mean? Is a demon someone that doesn't have a family? There are other kids in the orphanage too, but they all have someone. Why am I always so alone? Why won't anyone play with me?_/

"_Kuso_..." I mumbled. '_Why am I thinking about stuff like that? I mean, there were a few kids that used to play with me..._'

/_"Get away from me, you demon!" _

_"Mommy says your bad, that I shouldn't play with you." _

_"Are you gonna kill me like you killed my daddy and grandpa?"_/

Forget it... no one cares about me... i'm just some demon to them...

/_"I-i-i-i... I'm-m not afraid... of you..." A girl stammered. Everyone else had already gone home from the playground, so it was just the two of us there._

_"It's okay, you don't have to lie..." I mumbled, kicking away a few innocent pebbles with my feet. One of the pebbles seemed to like the girl and jumped right at her._

_"Aa!" She jumped back behind the tree she was hiding behind. "Itee."_

_"All you okay? I didn't mean to hurt you, honest!" I ran up to her, hoping to check on her before someone came and got mad at me for hurting her._

_I quickly check every inch of her, trying to find out where she was hit, but I couldn't seem to find anything. "Are you okay? Where were you hurt?" I asked, trying not to sound too worried, but I guess it didn't work._

_"Aa!" She jumped back, holding her hands to her ch__est, looking down and a bit to one side. Her cheeks turned a bit pink and she was stuttering something again, but I just couldn't understand what._

_I looked at her, doing that 'once-over' thing that Reimi-san told me was normal when you me__et someone the first time. She is wearing a dark grey shirt and pants, but right by her wrists and ankles it looks kinda like the fence around the playground. She has those flat shoe-things that girls like to wear. Her hair was... blue... black… some dark colour and short in the back and has two longer lazy spikes in the front. Well, the look like spikes, but they're falling down, not standing up like a real spike. _

_But the thing I remember most were her eyes. They __are white, not just the part that is always white either... I know people with blue eyes, green eyes, black eyes... but hers are the first white ones. If I look close enough, I can almost see a little purple in there... real, __**real **__little, but there._

_"Are you hurt?" I asked calmly. Her head swung slowly one side, then the other; no. "Are you scared of me like the others?" Again, her head swung both sides; another no._

_"Well, do you wanna pay then? The sun is still up." Her eyes opened up really big, like they were gonna pop out of her head any second. I thought she was gonna run, just like everyone else, but she didn't._

_"I-i'd..__.l-l-like that..." She stuttered, but nodded anyway._/

"Hyuuga... Hinata..." The only kid my age that ever - regularly - played with me. Sure she was shy, maybe even strange... but she isn't afraid of me. She never ran away from me. Until that old guy told her to never talk to me, never to play with me... just like all the rest.

It wasn't her fault. She wanted to play with me... it wasn't her fault... but it wasn't my fault either. It isn't my fault people hate me. No one will even tell me why.

"Stupid people." I curled up on my side again, trying for the hundredth time to go to sleep.

* * *

"**NARUTO**! GET BACK HERE!" Another satisfied customer! I was dashing from alley to alley, rooftop to rooftop. There was just no way these idiots were catching me!

"IN YOUR DREAMS, SUCKERS!" I shouted right back. '_All I gotta do, is make this last jump, dash down that alley, in through that window and I should be home free!_'

"HEY WATCH WHERE YOU THROWING THAT! YOU COULD HURT SOMEONE!" I shouted again, wondering what it was... until I got closer to where it landed and grabbed it. '_They're actually throwing kunai at me! Well, fine, two can play that game! Plan B then..._' I dashed across the main street, through the market that was just starting to open, but more importantly through some light civilian foot traffic. '_If they risk throwing kunai here, they risk civilian lives that aren't the target's. That has the death penalty for shinobi, even ANBU._'

True to design, the kunai throwing idiot let up. So that meant it was time for phase two of plan B, making it to class!

"Naruto, you're late, again!" Jeez, okay! I get it, you don't like me!

"We were reporting to _Hokage-sama_, so you may take it up with him." Hikaru explained.

'_How'd he show up with me! I don't remember seeing him behind me!_'

"Just hurry up and sit down." You know what, no more Daikoku-_sensei_ for you! You wanna grumble and complain when you can't kick me out, fine!

"_Hai_, squidgy-cheeks-_sensei_!" It was true, the man had that unique puffiness to his cheeks that old ladies like to pinch and call squidgy cheeks!

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!"

"Need I remind you, Funeno-_sensei_, that we just came from _Hokage-sama's_ office. I suggest you behave, unless you want to go there next." Hikaru threatened. I dunno what's going on, but the class is loving it! Everyone is laughing at squidgy-cheeks!

* * *

"Daikoku, my hearing is just fine thank you. Now stop shouting." _Hokage-jiji_ said evenly, trying to calm the raving lunatic down. Jeez, that guy can't take a joke! Just because I actually explained why I called him squidgy-cheeks by squeezing his cheeks in front of the whole class and talking in an elderly lady voice, doesn't mean that he should be upset, right?

"... _hai_... _hokage-sama..._" Awww, just like a widdle baby now.

"Good, now I have heard what you have to say. Please tend to the class you are supposed to be teaching and I will deal with these two." Without another word squidgy-cheeks-_sensei_ left, tail between his legs and all. _Hokage-jiji_ rocks!

"Now, Naruto-_kun_, you know you shouldn't pick on him just because you can." _Hokage-jiji_ told me.

"After everything he's done to me, he's getting off easy." I dismissed his words with a wave of the hand. We've been like this for months now. Every time I complete a very complex prank, I get another scroll, another chapter in chakra control and another even more complex prank to pull! I am learning ten times more like this than squidgy-cheeks would ever let me learn!

"It seems that your teacher is satisfied with your current level of skill. So it has been decided that you will be doing three pranks back to back this time - one in the Academy teachers lounge, one for the ANBU headquarters and one for the Uchiha district. In that order."

"And only after mastering what's in the book and scroll. Gotcha." I knew the routine, so why was he explaining it again.

"Only this time is different. No one will be able to protect you for these pranks, Naruto. This may be comparable to a B-Class mission, and there is no way to guarantee how it will end."

"This is what I've been training for, _Jiji_. Besides, the only reason why the ANBU chase me, is so that I can practice escaping from them! I could simply slip away and no one would have a clue!"

"I know, Naruto. I know. I just thought you might like to know that there will be no chases this time, because you are actually going to be targeted by upset ANBU and _chuunin_ or higher levelled _shinobi_. Yes, they will calm down in time-" I was just about to tell him that! "but the point remains that they will be upset and more likely to do things they otherwise wouldn't. _Kami-sama_ knows I wouldn't blame them."

"So only do the pranks if I know I can get away with it scot free, otherwise don't risk it."

"Exactly."

"All right, _Hokage-jiji_. I'll be as sneaky as I can be this time, just 'cause you asked me to." I answered, a lot more serious than I normally am. There was just something about the way he was talking that demanded a serious answer.

* * *

'_All right, so what is so big about these pranks this time?_' I opened the scroll with the three pranks. As always, there were maps describing the area, patrol routines of the ANBU and any other _shinobi_, even some info on the individuals I was most likely to meet during the prank.

The Academy Teacher's Lounge prank was a classic, switching the sugar for sea-salt, and creamer for chalk dust before the teachers showed up. They all enjoyed their coffee together before going to their first classes.

As for the ANBU HQ, well, they were getting water balloon traps set up in their lockers. The trap was set to trigger the second the door to their locker opened and each trap was supposed to fire at least three balloons. '_Well, the water is getting replaced with something else... I'm not sure what yet, but they are not simply getting wet for all that trouble!_'

And the Uchiha district? All the info, but no suggested prank? "Be creative." Was all was said. Hmmm... What would those stick-up-their-butts hate most? Well since the other two pranks are in the wasps' nest, maybe the Konoha Military Police Corps HQ should take this hit... but what to do?

'_Well, there is still time to figure that one out, let's see what I need to know this time._' The book, chapter thirty-eight, using the _henge no-jutsu_ on objects. '_There is even a paragraph on changing what a mirror or a window shows you... YATAI! Uchihas in their underwear at the KMPC HQ! Oh I am sooo good! __Hee hee hee!_'

* * *

Weeks! You know how long that is? WEEKS of preparing everything perfectly for the ultimate day of pranking! I ground nearly six supersized packs of grade A teachers chalk, got two small bags of sea salt on the market, six dozen balloons and well over a gallon on spoilt milk and a couple dozen rotten eggs... and the crème de la crème... mastered the _henge_ for other objects.

I started out simply practising it alone in my room, then I moved on to objects in public, seeing if anyone would notice me doing it - the only advantage to everyone hating me was that I always knew when they saw me doing something!

After that, I would _henge_ stuff while I knew people were looking at me. Like trying to buy fruit from vendors on the market that I knew would never sell to me, they always made a big scene about it. So I would pick up the fruit, smell it, put it back down and just before I run off, I _henge_ it to look rotten!

'_The looks on their faces were priceless when they tried to sell it afterwards!_' They eventually started telling people that anything I touch rots on contact! I decided then and there that they would be on the receiving end of a lot more pranks in the future.

After that, I started practicing _henge_-ing stuff that people wore! There was this one lady that always threw rocks at me whenever she saw me... so I started with her.

She always hangs out around the deli that her parents own - don't care about the place, seeing that they never let me inside. She is always outside trying to lure customers in. I stood in an alley tracking her, studying her movements for a bit.

Whenever a _shinobi_ walks past around her age, she would always strike up a longer conversation than with anyone else. She would always start twiddling her hair with her finger, obviously flirting with them. That was my window of opportunity!

After about an hour of waiting, a lone _shinobi_ walks past the deli, but doesn't enter - those are her main targets. She immediately strums up a conversation with the man, doing her usual routine of openly flirting and teasing him to follow her in. The guy is in no real hurry, since he is staring at her partially exposed cleavage, so he stays and chats a bit.

Five minutes in, they are oblivious to anything around them; the girl knew how to draw them in like a professional hooker! So I made my move. Sticking to the crowd - and _henged_ to look like an eight year old girl in a cute little kimono - I grabbed the back of her skirt, giving her the '_I'm lost, which way is the west gate_' routine and _henged_ her miniskirt into something more... revealing. Something like that see through plastic used to store food.

Well, the woman never noticed the _henge_, but the crowd certainly did. A cute looking chick in her underwear in the middle of town - yeah, crowds tend to notice things like that. Although, the group of boys that pointed and shouted that there was a hole in her underwear (courtesy of the _henge_) didn't help her much, but her running into the deli screaming her head off did! The deli made record breaking sales that day, and no one ever suspected it was me.

The moral of that prank? People with see through skirts, shouldn't throw stones!

Anyway, the day finally arrived when the three pranks would be executed. I was hyped up, and ready for anything!

I snuck into the Academy Teacher's Lounge with no problems; I even got away without a problem with the ANBU HQ. Nothing seemed to be going wrong... until I made my way into the Uchiha district.

Setting up the simple (after doing something a hundred times or more, it really becomes simple) _genjutsu_ on all the windows to show the person in their underwear went as well as can be expected, then I snuck into the kitchen and switched all the signs on the their spices and cooking ingredients - I even threw in some chalk for the hell of it!

I actually thought I was going to simply walk away from it without a problem... Until it happened.

'_What the hell is going on?_' The sun went out. Lights stopped working. The world simply dove into a darkness I have never seen before! I mean, I've been outside at midnight on a moonless night training, but it wasn't THIS dark! Forget not seeing a hand in from your face, this was you couldn't see your finger poking yourself in the eye!

What's worse was that there seemed to be a... I dunno... a presence in that darkness. It was like someone was staring at you the whole time, from every angle.

So here I am, stuck in the Uchiha district, in the Konoha Military Police Corps Headquarters - after pulling off the biggest prank of my career - and I can't get away. Even though I couldn't possibly get caught, it was only a matter of time for before something went horribly wrong.

"_Kuso_!" I shout out of frustration, and stumping my toe in a wall. Only, the sound never reached my ear... "What the...!" Nothing.

I decided to check me other senses. I mean, maybe I'm dead? I pinch myself, hard... a bit too hard maybe... "_Chikushou_! THAT HURT!" I actually just stabbed myself from the way it felt! Wait... That was not a very hard pinch... "_Kuso_...!" That means that because sight and sound are out of the way, my sense of touch and smell are hyped up!

"Great, Naruto... You're sense of touch and smell are all you've got left... So what? Where does that leave you?" Well, since I can't hear myself, no point in thinking to myself, right?

"Jeez what is that smell?" Just ahead of me I could smell something... coppery? And I was obviously getting really close to someone who decided to soil themselves in fear! "Jeez, get it together Uchiha-_temes_, it's just a little power outage." Lying to yourself in that situation is called for, okay! The more I walked in that direction, the worse the smell got, so I figured I would just pick another direction altogether. Only...

"Jeez, my sense of smell must be so amped up that I can still smell that stuff! Either that or there are a lot of scared shitless people in this building!" Even ten minutes later, or twenty minutes later... or no matter how much later. The smell only seemed to be getting stronger, and more robust... and more diverse.

I was starting to pick out different levels of coppery smells, some were mixed in with feces... some with urine... some with people throwing up (I had dealt with a lot of that smell from the new kids in the group home)... "I guess I'm the only one not scared."

"Well, no matter where I go, I still ain't getting nowhere. So I might as well just sit down and wait this out." It's true. No matter how far in one direction I go, I can't seem to find anything other than new smells I can't identify (other the four -vomit, pee, poop and that coppery thing - that seem to be everywhere). So why keep walking aimlessly? I think I'll just take a nap... right... here...

_**End chapter 17**_

* * *

**A/N: WOW! Chapter 17 is out! This is going good! At this rate, I have as far as chapter 50 plotted out and that is not even getting to the REAL fun stuff :D:D:D Don't worry, there will be a lot of action in the coming chapters. There will be much more fighting scenes (so calm down guys) and there will be even more fun and funny fluffy goodness, just not right now.**

**Before anyone wonders, I love you Kiravu!**

**I wonder if this chapter tells everyone what they think they already figured out, or maybe they still don't know what poor Naruto stumbled into... Hmm, well you tell me what you think and I'll tell you what I know ;)**

**Lots of love going out to my regular reviewer, RedRangerBelt! And to all my reviewers, I love you guys. I know there are on average 20 regular reads now :D and that number is steadily growing. I wonder what you guys think of my story. Do you love it, hate it but can't stop reading, completely indifferent but already in the groove of it? **

**"If you are truly an elite, people simply give you the power you need. That is what true respect is." **

_Tsukune - _Minced chicken patties

_Kuroikage - _Black shadow

_Kuji-in - _Handseals used for meditation and personal development. Wiki it for more details.


	18. Arc2: Student 4, Behind the mask

**_ Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students_**

**_I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P  
It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?  
All underlined terms are explained at the end of the chapter.  
_**

* * *

**_~Naruto's POV~_**

"The construct of the intermediate symmetric seal is based on the variables of the appropriate symbols balancing the algorithm of the eventual operative task of the seal." I mumbled, wondering why people like to hide simple principles behind fancy jargon. All that says is: plan what the seal is going to do, pick the matching symbols and draw it out in a symmetric pattern. That's it. Idiots.

"Naruto-_nii_, how is the studying going?" Yuuna asked me. It was Tuesday again, a full month after the trio had started dragging me everywhere. Tuesday is an important day for me, because that's _fuuinjutsu _day!

After I got the basics down - which took three weeks - Yuuna has been bugging me about everything I thought I learned. Comparing notes with her was like arguing with a living encyclopaedia! The girl simply knew EVERYTHING about seals.

"Meh, once I understand what the writer actually meant, it's easy... I guess." Best not tempt her to test that.

"Oh? And how are you getting along with this book then?" It's weird now that I think about it. Whenever Yuuna is around someone she doesn't know, or trust, she goes hyper-bimbo on them - or when she simply wants to tease the people she does trust... or if she's nervous. Other than that, she talks like normal people do. I think I'll ask her about that one of these days.

"Chapter two. Took me a full week to figure out how to translate chapter one into something I can understand." I admitted ruefully. '_Wow, ruefully? I'm really starting to think like Tatsuko-nee-san. Wait... 'nee-san'? When did that happen?_'

"Yeah, Mito-_sama_ does have a funny way of writing." Yuuna agreed happily.

"How come all the good books on sealing are written by only Kushina and Mito?" I wondered out loud. I mean, if the Uzumaki clan was so big and prosperous why only two writers?

"Well, all _jounin_ that mastered a specific skill are asked to write a 'how to' guide on that skill. Mito-_sama_, and... Kushina-_sama_ are the only two Uzumakis that were _jounin_ in _Konohagakure_." She explained rubbing her knuckles. That kinda makes sense, other than the pause. Why would she pause right before mentioning Kushina? Jeez, that analytical psychology book _Nee-san_ had me read two weeks ago is really starting to mess with my mind!

"Well, that makes sense. What do you know about them?" Uh oh, she is playing with her earlobe now! She is getting nervous.

"Um, Uzumaki Mito was the _Shippuuden_'s little sister when she was sent to Konoha for an arranged marriage with Senju Hashirama. She was the top _fuuinjutsu_ specialist of _Uzushiogakure_ when she left and only became better in her studies here in Konoha. She wrote a total of sixteen guide-books; four on _fuuinjutsu_, four on _suiton_ native to _Uzusio_, four on _kekkei genkai_ traits and how to harness them and the last four are known as the 'Sacrificial Autoguides'." She smoothed her hair as she explained the last set of books... Odd.

"Sacrificial Autoguides?" Sure, I am curious about the other ones too, even though she writes old fashioned and really professor-like, she knows what she's talking about.

"You'll totally read them when your ready." Huh? ... 'totally'?

"And Kushina?" She smoothed her hair again, only this time she was looking down on the library desk we were sitting at and slowly started rubbing both ears. Something about Kushina troubles her.

"Ku-ku-kushina-sa-sa-sa-sama-"

"Uzumaki Kushina wrote a number of books on seals, time-space jutsu, customising an existing jutsu to better suit your needs and specialized battlefield analysis and tactics." _Nee-san_ explained, obviously covering up for Yuuna... Hmm.

"I see. So how do these two individuals relate to me? I mean, all three of us are Uzumaki after all."

"All things in time, _Otouto-kun_."

Okay, let's take a step back (jeez all that _fuuinjutsu _training is spilling into the rest of my life) - Yuuna is nervous about Uzumaki Kushina, Tatsuko-_nee-san_ refuses to tell me anything about her and no one ever wants to talk about my family, let alone my clan. Add to that that there were only two Uzumaki jounin in Konoha, factor in that Mito was brought here to marry the Shodai Hokage... and what do you get?

Why is no one telling me anything concrete about Kushina? Kushina is related to me, that much is obvious, but how is she related to me? I dunno, too little information. Well, we are in a library; I'll just see what I can find about her here. Otherwise I can ask _Hokage-jiji_ about her.

* * *

Early morning training is the best way to start the day. I always come to training ground twenty-six, seeing that it is the closest one to the group home. _Kami-sama_, I hate calling it that, but 'The Alley of Broken Dreams' sounds even dumber - and it certainly isn't anyone's home. I can't wait to get my own place away from the depressing people that are always hanging around that place.

Honestly, Reimi-_san_, and the demon trio - as the villagers like to call them - are the only sane people in that building. The rest of them are all out of their minds! But then again, seeing that they were all orphaned by the Kyuubi attack, or just traumatized by it... it's kinda hard to blame them.

"Hey, Naruto-_kun_, just the guy I need." Mizuki-_sensei_ huffed as he came to a sudden stop a few metres in front of me.

"Mizuki-_sensei_... what's up?" The silver haired chuunin was always giving the taijutsu classes, and since Hikaru and me were taking the extra classes, we were spending a lot of time with the odd teacher.

"Well, there is a mission of sorts that I need you to execute." He began. Gee, why don't I believe that? "Are you interested?"

No, not really. "What kind of mission?" And where is the catch?

"Well, seeing that only the best of the best are asked to take on these types of missions, I would assume it would be a very challenging one. I am on my way to get the final details from _Hokage-sama_ himself. It might even be enough to help pass you with your bad grades in the Academy." Right, do I look like an idiot? "By the way, the person that takes the job is allowed to learn some of the coolest jutsu Konoha has to offer."

"I'm in!"

* * *

'_Well, here I am, playing the fool again! Jeez, why do I always get suckered into this?_' Mizuki told me about three hours ago what he wanted me to do, but this idiot is clearly setting me up!

The mission is simple enough, sneak into the Hokage Tower and take a scroll left on the floor in the Hokage's personal library. He explained that it was meant to test the Tower's security - which was obviously lax. After that, I was meant to sneak out of the main proper of Konoha and into the woods, while still remaining within the outer walls, and simply wait to be contacted.

I decided to open the massive scroll to see what was really going on, but I wasn't too surprised to see jutsu after jutsu written on it. '_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no-jutsu, Edo Tensei, Hakke no Fuuin Shiki, Shiki Fuuin, Edo Tensei-Kai, Jikuukanton, Hachimon - Kai... These are all Kinjutsu! That son of a bitch had me steal the Forbidden Scroll! Nee-san is going to kill me!_'

True to what any panicked kid would do, I ran.

* * *

Hours... Why does everything I do take hours? Hikaru could learn a jutsu from scratch in twenty minutes, Yuuna takes a minute to make a seal too complicated for me to even understand and _Nee-san_ is practically the queen of _jutsus_! She already created over sixty personal _jutsus_! Yet here I am fighting to learn a single one! It's frustrating...  
At first I wanted to simply wash my hands with the situation, but some things aren't that simple. So here I am trying to learn and master the _Tajuu Kage Bunshin no-jutsu_ while the clone jutsu was simply my worst skill!  
'_Better to aim for the moon and reach the sky, than to aim for the sky and land in the mud._' I hated Nee-san's similes for popping into my head at times like this. They always made sense! I hate that!

"It's all over." Iruka-sensei snuck up on me. Jeez, this guy is only a chuunin, but he sneaks up on me like that better than the ANBU taskforce!  
"Heeheehee." I rubbed the back of my head, slightly embarrassed but pleased none the less. He looked at me funny while I started standing up.  
"You found me already. Not bad sensei, you know... you're pretty quick. I only had time to learn one technique, and it isn't even all that good yet."  
"You were out here practising? The whole time?"  
"Of course! Mizuki-sensei said that if I did the mission and learn the jutsu, I wouldn't be sent home from the Academy because of my bad grades." Which he did, more or less. He was always threatening to send me home because my _Taijutsu_ was the worst in the class!

"Mi-zu-ki..." Suddenly Iruka-_sensei_ hits me off to one side with an open palmed strike.

/ _"Sometimes you have to use force to maintain peace. Striking an ally just hard enough to get them out of the way of danger is not wrong, in fact it is sometimes the only thing that could save their life... perhaps even the lives of many others." Iruka-sensei explained during one of his lectures. "The hardest to understand as an individual, is why we suffer for the greater good. Shinobi take on the harshest punishments during even the simplest and most routine missions, not because we are evil and Kami-sama wants to punish us... no, instead it is because we take on the punishment of others so that they may live on in peace. Every Shinobi that gives his or her life for the greater good is celebrated as a hero. Both among the Shinobi ranks, and the civilians alike._/

His words made no sense at the time, but here... now... with me flying away from him and that scared but determined look on his face... and the rain of kunai and shuriken flying where I stood no more than a second ago...  
I tried to call out his name, but he hit me hard enough to wind me. So all I could do was stare as _kunai_ after _kunai_ ripped into his arms and legs. True to his training, he was already in a defensive stand to protect his face with his arms and bent forward slightly to keep the worst of it from his belly - and therefore all the vital organs there.

Still, in total I counted six kunai wounding him.

"So you found our little hide away... _Ne_, Iruka-_kun_?"  
"So that's the way it is." Iruka-sensei coughed up some blood. "I should have know." Mizuki-_sensei_ was in one of the lower branches of a nearby tree, leaning forward and poised to strike again any second.  
"Good work, Naruto. You've successfully executed the mission. And as a bonus you even managed to corner a traitor to the village!" Mizuki-sensei announced.  
"Traitor, what the heck are you talk-"  
"Iruka tricked me into believing that Hokage-sama ordered this mission. He told me about this place and how to convince you to come here." He looked up at Iruka-sensei. That man's eyes were dark; his face was shrouded by his hair and the shadow cast by it. He simply looked evil.

"Wha..."

"Don't listen to him Naruto, he is trying to trick you again. That scroll contains forbidden jutsu, he wants it for himself! He wants to-" He coughed up some blood again. After looking at him a bit closer, I noticed that one of the kunai had stabbed him in his chest... upper right corner, just below the... collarbone? "he wants to take that scroll for himself! He's lying!"  
"Ha, me lying? I'll tell you who's lying. Everyone has been lying to you from day one, Naruto. Don't you want to know why people avoid you, hate you?"  
"Mizuki, don't! It's forbidden!"

"Even now, Iruka would do anything to shut me up! Do you see who is truly lying? He doesn't want you to know the truth!"  
"What truth? What the heck is going on!"  
"Ever since the Sandaime made that decree, no one has been allowed to tell you what's really going on..."

"JUST TELL ME ALREADY!"

"The decree is that no one is allowed to mention you being the Kyuubi no Youko!"  
"Mizuki NOOOOOO!" Iruka shouted, obviously trying to overpower that man's voice. It's a shame that my hearing is so good...

/ _"You demon, get away from our children!"_

_"What's the Youko-gaki doing here?"_

_"You'd think that Hokage-sama was smarter than allowing that __**thing **__into the Academy. Imagine what would happen if __**he **__became a ninja!"_

_"Are you going to kill me... like you killed my daddy and grandpa?"_/

"... so that's why..." All these years... all these years... and all they saw was the kyuubi...  
"You are the same beast that killed so many people in Konoha... including poor, poor Iruka's parents." I looked at Iruka-_sensei_ in complete shock!

'His... parents...too?'

"Don't you see, that is why you will never be accepted in this village!" I'm not crying... I can't cry... Demons don't cry... right?  
"EYES FRONT!" Nee-san? I looked up, shocked that _Nee-san_ was out here too - just in time to see a Fuuma shuriken flying at me. It was coming to fast for me to run, I wasn't fast enough to dodge...

'_I guess this is it. I wonder if Hinata-chan will be mad at me... for not fulfilling my promise._'

/ _"Why do you want to be the Hokage so bad?" The eight year old Hinata asked. We were training together in the woods just North of the school - it was the only place no one would see us and get her in trouble. Still, it took her almost a year of meeting her weekly to get comfortable enough to stop stuttering as often - it didn't go away entirely, but she could manage most sentences without it.  
__"Because everyone acknowledges the Hokage for his strength and wisdom. No matter what, people would have to acknowledge me then too! That's what I want!"  
__"But isn't being the Hokage about guiding people too? And p-p-pr-protect-ting y-y-y-your lo-l-l-lo-loved o-ones?"  
__"Stuttering again, Hinata-chan?" I teased her, but I tried not to lay it on too thick - she gets really shy even when it's just us. "Well, I guess so. Don't really have any loved ones to protect."  
__"Wha-what about your family?"  
__"Don't have any. I've been on my own for as long as I can remember."_

_"Oh..." She was looking down again. Then after a minute she started blushing. "Maybe I could be one of your loved ones, then?" I just stared at her... did she really just say that? __"I-i mean... I-i-i-i-"  
__"When I become Hokage, then everyone will be my family, Hinata-chan." I interrupted, explaining what Hokage-jiji told me a few days ago. "But I will need someone I can trust with my life. Someone to start a family with - whatever that means... I promise you, you'll be that person - dattebayo!"_/

The supersized shuriken is flying at me. Seeing that I am seeing my life flash before my eyes, it isn't hard to figure out where this is going.

/ _"What were you doing in the Uchiha district?" One of the interrogators ask me. His face is scarred beyond belief, his hitae-ate is worn like a bandanna to cover his head and his long black trench coat makes him look like a terrorist. Strangely, his sitting down with his arms and legs crossed, but the look on his face is dead serious._

_I instantly decided I needed to keep on this guy's good side. _

_"I was pulling a prank! I was setting up a henge on the windows to make it look like everyone you saw through it was walking around in their underwear! That's it!"  
__"And how could an Academy student know about such a jutsu?" His tone didn't show any emotion - no anger, no surprise, no admiration... nothing! I spent my whole life reading people to know who was trying to hurt me, but this guy was a blank page!  
__"I get these scrolls from Hokage-jiji on chakra manipulation and some jutsu that he wants me to practice. So I use them to pull pranks on people. That's it, I never hurt no one!"  
__"You do realise that we found you between two jounin level Uchihas. Both of which were slowly tortured to death."  
__"What the heck are you talking about! I was in the Military Police HQ setting up the prank when the lights went out! I couldn't see anything! Let alone anyone! Besides why would anyone be dumb enough to think that I could take on a jounin, let alone two!"_

_"The lights went out?" He asked.  
__"Duh! Why else would I stay there after setting everything up? When you have everything set up for a prank, you leave. You don't stick around and wait to get caught!" What kind of idiot was this?  
__"So you say the 'lights went out'?"  
__"Yeah, it was so dark that I couldn't see anything! So of course the lights went out!"  
__"And what happened after the lights went out?"  
__"I started trying to figure my way out. I went as far to the right as I could until I started smelling some people that crapped in their pants, but I figured I would avoid them, seeing that Hokage-jiji told me to not get caught no matter what I started looking for another way out. But they were everywhere!"  
__"They...?"  
__"The Uchihas. They all either wet themselves, or crapped in their pants... a few of them puked I think. It was dark, so I couldn't see anything more than that... After a while I just got tired, so I decided to take a nap."  
__"And Hokage-sama told you not to get caught? So he knew you would be there?"  
__"Duh! If he tells me something, I would think that he would know I was there."  
__"I see..."_/

Well, that flashback was no fun! Why can't I have fun flashbacks before I die? Like that time I-

"_Ototon - Kagote no jutsu_!" Someone needs to stop interrupting my flashback scenes! Who knows how long I have left!

Just then, I heard two awful sounds: one was metal clanging against something solid - like concrete - while the other was metal digging into awaiting flesh. I know that last one, because that was the God-awful sound that I heard each time a _kunai_ hit Iruka-_sensei_.

"Dammit, _Otouto_, when I say 'eyes front', I don't mean for you to space out!" _Nee-san_ was obviously pissed. I looked in front of me, wondering how I was still alive... Only to see... fuzzy. I was like my eyes were out of focus, but Nee-san was there, not in the least bit blurred.  
"Heh..." I rubbed the back of my head, trying to play it off, still wondering why everything else was still out of focus...  
Then, Tatsuko-_nee-san_ released her _jutsu_... Yuuna was tending to Iruka-_sensei_, having him sit down comfortably until help arrived. And Hikaru... was standing over Mizuki's lifeless body. Even from this distance I could see the senbon that entered his left eye and went clean through the back of his skull.

I passed out almost immediately.

* * *

'_Am I dead?_' I wondered. Nah, dying might hurt, but death isn't this painful. Speaking of painful, opening my eyes hurts! "Itee..."  
"Well, well, well... look who's back among the living?" Hikaru teased.  
"Well, now I know I'm not dead. The _Shinigami_ would never let you in, Hikaru." I teased right back.  
"Damn, you figured out my tactic. Now what will I do?" He deadpanned. Well, I'm not dead... now what?

I looked around the room. Yuuna was drawing something in the corner, Hikaru was standing near the door (first line of defence, he calls it) and... "Are you upset with me, _Nee-san_?" I asked her. I used to wonder what Hikaru meant when he said that she had the power to make him feel like a child, but that '_mommy is not happy with you_' look on her face was all the explanation I would ever need.  
"Yes. Do you know why?" I tried sitting up, not feeling in the least bit tired or disoriented. I tried to take in the rest of the scene, trying to understand where I was.

'_The hospital? I hate the hospital! Kuso!_' White walls, white sheets on the bed, white everything... A perfect cover up for the black hearted people that work here! "Not really..."  
"Liar." She said evenly. Her eyes seemed to be evaluating me, and I got the feeling she was not happy with what she saw.

"It's because I trusted Mizuki." I knew better than to blindly trust someone, she taught me better than that, even in the short time we had.

"_Iie_. I am upset because you didn't come to me when you got into trouble. You knew that was the forbidden scroll before you got to that place, but you didn't come to me for help."

"What makes you think-"

"The same way I know everything else I know, _Otouto-kun_."

"I don't understand." I told her honestly, meeting her gaze in earnest. That girl was simply too secretive for anyone to figure her out.

"It's a jutsu I use. _Ototon - Shinseina Shoukai_. I can ask your subconscious mind anything I want, and it will always answer truthfully. Anything you know, feel, suspect; anything I want to know you reveal... whether you are sure about it or not." That is sooooooooo... AWESOME!

"So then you know about-"

"The Kyuubi? I've always known." Huh?

"Then why are you still here? I'm a demon."

"_Baka_! Did you really think that Mizuki was telling the truth?"

"But you just-"

"All I said is that I always knew. Mizuki told you what he thought." _Kami-sama_, how does that girl do that? Oh, right... Divine Inquiry, I gotta learn how to do that!

"Then what am I?" She took her time, carefully thinking about that. I hate it even more when she thinks about her words before answering, it means she isn't going to tell more than what she wants you to know.

"You are a _Jinchukiri_." Was all she said. _Jinchukiri_? Doesn't that mean...

/ _"She wrote a total of sixteen books; four on fuuinjutsu, four on suiton native to Uzusio, four on kekkei genkai traits and how to harness them and the last four are known as the 'Sacrificial Autoguides'."_ /

Jinchikiri means 'the power of human sacrifice'. Uzumaki Mito wrote books calls 'Sacrificial Autoguides'. 'Auto' can be taken to mean 'self', so Sacrificial Self-guides... four books. Just like her other topics, four books. Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Master; genin, chuunin, jounin and kage. She carefully chose the number of books to match levels of skill... She was also a _jinchukiri_? What does that mean? What am I missing from this picture?

I opened my mouth, waiting for a thousand different questions to pop out at the same time, but she held her hand out to stall them. "I cannot tell you more than you already know. Only _Hokage-sama_ can answer your questions."

* * *

"Ah, Naruto-_kun_, I was about to call it a day and come check up on you. How are you doing?" _Hokage-jiji_ smiled at me, as he always does. He somehow always makes a little time free for me for little chats, no matter how busy he is.  
"I'm fine, but I wanted to ask you something, Jiji. You gotta promise to tell me the truth though." I answered, trying to get right to the point. Too many years of things being hidden from me, it was time to end that.

His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed. If I wasn't paying very close attention I would have missed it entirely. "I will answer if I can." He smiled. A very political way to answer, too vague to corner him... he knows something I don't. A lot of somethings if that calculating look in his eyes is any indicator.

"Mizuki told me that I was the _Kyuubi_, is that true?" Best start with the worst and work my way forward.

His eyes widened in shock, but I could see understanding there too. He understands, even if only very vaguely, what I am going through right now. "No, it isn't. Yes, the _Kyuubi no Youko_ is imprisoned within you, in the seal around your navel to be exact, but you are not him. You are actually the _Bijuu_'s jailor, its _Jinchukiri_." There was that word again.  
"So there were others than were his jailor before me?"  
"Yes, two others that I know of."  
"Who were they?"  
"I'm afraid-"  
"You've kept enough from me in the past, _Jiji_. Please, I need to know."  
"No, Naruto, I'm afraid you don't fully understand what you want me to reveal."

Fine, I'll try something else then. "How did he get in there?"

"The day the _Kyuubi _attacked Konoha, the _Yondaime _sacrificed his life using a forbidden jutsu, the _Fuuin Shiki_, to seal it within you."  
"If there were others, how did it get out to attack Konoha?"  
He was silent for a long time again, stroking that puff of white hair on his chin. "That is exactly what I cannot reveal, it endangers you too much."  
"More than having the strongest _Bijuu _in my gut? More than having all of Konoha hate me for something I never knew about? Do you really expect me to believe that?" He was quiet again, carefully weighing his words, carefully planning his next step. "Stop plotting against me, _Jiji_. I know you know what I want to know. I know you think you are protecting me, but you weren't the one protecting me from Mizuki. And you won't be able to save me from the next Mizuki that comes around."

"I know that, why else would I have you guarded around the clock?" Huh? I knew the shock was plainly visible in my face from the sad smile on his.

"I am... I mean, I was... I mean... What the hell!"

There was a firm knock on the door, followed by Jiji's permission to enter. Tatsuko-_nee-san_, Hikaru and Yuuna walked in with knowing smiles on their faces. "Considering the looks on your faces and your timing in showing up, I am guessing this is not entirely unexpected."  
"_Iie_. He has been suspicious for some time now, but we are still under orders to keep our mouths shut." _Nee-san_, the designated spokesperson, replied.  
"I see, care to fill me in?"  
"Fill you in...?"  
"On what has been sparking this. You know that your orders were to keep him in the dark to protect him." Do they know I'm still here? I doubt it.  
"Simple, too many unanswered questions. And the natural Uzumaki talent for _fuuinjutsu_ demands he analyse everything he sees." _Jiji_ stroked his beard again.

"And what did you reveal to him?"

"Nothing, _Hokage-sama_."  
"Then what have you been letting him read? I know you better than that, child. I am not upset, I just need to know what he knows and he will not likely tell me."  
"A most intriguing problem, seeing that he now knows that you don't want him to know. Which will only make him more curious than he was. Well, that is none of my concern. He has been reading all available _Fuuinjutsu _books for his Intermediate level of skill with the subject."

"Intermediate? **All** available books?"

"That's two questions, Saru-_ji-chan_. Yes, from Mito and Kushina. Who else would write books on it?"  
"And you wonder why I refuse to let you into ANBU? You'll turn me grey before my time." A bit late for that, ain't it? He smiled warmly at her. Okay, I am obviously no longer in the same room with them, and they are obviously not in the mood to care.  
"Woe is me, whatever shall a girl do without her ANBU uniform?" She playfully exaggerated. "Seriously though, Saru-_ji-chan_, it's time to let go. You cannot protect him, not from the ones that want him most. Only he can do that."

"I am starting to see that. You do realise that he is not going to be pleased with either of us for this."

"Yondaime-_sama_ will be more than pleased that we kept his boy safe, sane and strong. What else can a shinobi ask for?" Huh?

* * *

I could see their lips moving. I knew they were telling me something; and from the stern looks on their faces, it was something important. So why can't I seem to focus on it?

Shock, that's why.

"Huh?" I noised, trying to take it all in at once.  
"Simply put, Naruto, you are the heir to both the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans, both of which are in dire need of a strong leader to rebuild." _Hokage-jiji_ explained again.  
"Yeah, I caught all of that, it's that other part that has me running around in circles." I pointed out.  
"What, about you being the _Yondaime_'s son? What is so shocking about that? You are practically his twin!" Hikaru laughed at my situation, again. _Teme_!

"No I mean..."

"Regarding Yuuna?" Tatsuko rescued me. It's times like these I learn to not complain about her mind reading thing. "What is hard to understand?"  
"Not hard, just... a lot to take in."  
"Naruto-_nii_, I wanted to tell you, I really did!" Yuuna was in tears, her body racked with violent and heart crushing sobs.

"_Im_... _Imou_... _Imouto-chan_..." Speaking the word was not easy... at all in fact.

"Please don't be mad at me!" Tatsuko embraced Yuuna with what I could only identify as motherly affection.  
"I... I don't get it." I admitted, still chasing my own tail mentally. "I thought-"  
"One of the traits of being an Uzumaki is multiple offspring per pregnancy, just like the foxes that your clan so revered." Tatsuko explained evenly, patting the redhead's hair softly.  
"Foxes?" I thought back to the book I red on my clan, there was a mention of a summoning contract, but nothing more on the subject. No mention of foxes were made in the least.  
"Yes, Uzumaki Kushina, the _Akashi_, had a summoning contract with foxes. One of the reasons she was so close to the Inuzuka clan."  
"How the heck do you know all of this! Why was I never told!" I didn't want to be upset right now; I wanted to be happy. Just the thought that all this was kept from me my whole life; the _Kyuubi_, my parents, their clans that I was supposedly the leader of (even though there was almost no one left alive from either clan)... it was just too much.  
"My father, Yukikami Tatsuhi, was your father's most trusted shinobi. _Yondaime_'s last order was to keep his family safe at all costs." Tatsuko explained calmly. "So with his last breath, _Tou-chan_ ordered me to succeed him in his mission... I've been guarding you ever since."

"..." I wanted to say something. I don't really know what, but something. Still, all I could do was work my jaw mutely, hoping that I just couldn't hear my own words.

"Naturally, _Nee-chan_ decided to drag me along for the ride." Hikaru laughed at his own words. Meanwhile, I was just staring at the three of them. Yuuna still clung to Tatsuko's shirt, carefully eyeing me to see what my reaction was going to be. Hikaru was standing nearest to the door, obviously still in 'bodyguard mode'. Tatsuko-nee-san was simply staring back at me, probably awaiting what I wanted her to do.

'_What I want her to do? Jeez that is so awkward! The smartest person I know is willing to do anything I ask her! All because of who my father was..._' That was a power I didn't want.

"Listen you don-"  
"If you try to tell me what I can or cannot do, then I will have to remind you that I am not following your orders; never have." Jeez, she could at least let me finish my sentence.

"_Nee-san_, I could never look at you as a-"  
"I am not your servant, _otouto_. I am not your bodyguard. I am not even your friend..." She petted Yuuna on her head again, kissing her forehead lightly. "I am your big sister; and I will always try to guide you and defend you. No matter what."

"What about _Kuroikage-san_?" I wondered out loud. For the first time I was getting answers, and there were so many questions that needed them.  
"Who?" _Nee-san_ turned to _Hokage-jiji_, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.  
"The guy that was writing all those scrolls to help train me, who is it?" I tried looking at both the old man and Tatsuko at the same time, hoping one of them would answer me.

"All things in time, Naruto-kun. All things in time." I hate it when he says that!

* * *

Later that afternoon I found myself on a park bench, trying to understand everything; I found I simply couldn't. . '_Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, Konoha's Yellow Flash... and Princess Uzumaki Kushina, second jinchukiri of the Kyuubi, The Red Death... my parents?_' It was almost too much to take in. Sure, I had some idea. I mean, there were ever only two Uzumakis in Konoha other than myself. Mito died nearly thirty years ago, while... _Okaa-sama_... died the day of my birth.  
Another interesting, and perhaps even more mind blowing fact: Yuuna was adopted by the Main house of the Kitsunaga clan... she is in fact... my twin sister... I had family, living family, living in the same orphanage as me for nearly a year. And even before that, a stone's throw away, my entire life!

'_Imouto-chan...My Imouto-chan..._' That one thought rolled back and forward in my head for so long that I stopped bothering to fight it. I have a family. Small, yes. Fragmented, yes. But mine.

So where did Hikaru and Tatsuko fit into the equation? I asked, of course, but they just laughed at me.

/ "Give the boy a finger and he claims the whole hand." Hikaru laughed, patting me on the back. I am quite used to his teasing by now, thank _Kami-sama_.  
"No, but really. I mean, Yuuna calls you Nee-chan, is there-"

"You call me Nee-san these days too, is there a reason for that?"

"Well, not really-"

"Exactly. I love Yuuna as a little sister, just as I love you as a little brother." Suddenly there was a frog in my throat. "Blood ties do not strengthen or diminish that."

"I-" I began, then cleared my throat, trying to work out the catch, "I understand. Is there any other family that survived that we know of?" The silence in the room was louder than s bolt of lightning striking right next to your ear./

'_I have more family out there. They don't want to tell me about them, but I will find them some day. I **will** find them._'

_**End chapter 18**_

* * *

**A/N: A bit longer than my average, but there was simply more to cover in this chapter. Mixing Cannon with Fannon is not always simple ;)**

**As always, I want to thank my beta Kiravu. Without her, my chapters simply wouldn't measure up to anyone's expectations! As well, I would like to thank RedRangerBelt for her reviews! I can always count on her to let me know what my readers are thinking! And just so you all know, I have decided to write a special release for the next chapter just to answer one critical question that she asked in her most recent review!**

**I was originally going to work the event that Naruto got himself into into Sasuke's portion, which was originally designed to be the next student (btw, did anyone notice that Naruto's chapters are backwards?), but I simply can't write his perspective. My views are simply too contradictory to capture him as a character and emo-tastical teme he is known to be. No, I am not a Sasuke fan, not even pre-'Sasuke retrieval Arc' Sasuke warmed me up to him. So instead I am going to give you all another POV to enjoy.**

**However, as I said, that next chapter release will be slightly different. Instead of giving you Student Five (who ever that student might be *grins evilly*), the next chapter will be:**

**Chapter 19 - The day the sun refused to shine**

**I hope you all are looking forward to it; I know I am. Be warned though, it will be quite a bit more graphic and intense than you are accustomed to from my previous writing. You have been warned!**

Ototon - Shinseina Shoukai - Sound release - Divine Inquiry.  
Ototon - Kagote no-jutsu - Sound release - Hands of Divine Protection technique.


	19. Arc2: The day the sun refused to shine

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students**_

_**It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Flashback Chapter~**

**~Narrator's POV~**

**~Round One~**

The weather was gorgeous that day. Simply gorgeous. Not a cloud in the sky, not too hot, yet not too cold either; even with the mid-afternoon heat.

Yet there was a young blond rushing from rooftop to rooftop, clearly in a rush to get to where she was going. Her face, though obviously young -no more than ten years old- was an odd mixture of barely contained rage and unfathomable worry.

Not even an hour earlier, said blond was told to keep an eye on her little brother and -more specifically- a certain carefree redhead. A single, straightforward order that was to be adhered to no matter what...

'_Tou-chan never says 'no matter what'! Something is wrong... very, very wrong!_' Tatsuko thought. '_He should have brought back up if the situation was that bad! What kind of strategist goes into battle head first without thinking of his own safety!_' Somehow, the irony of her owns thoughts didn't even occur to her.

She didn't exactly know where she was going. She just knew that her _Tou-chan_'s chakra signature was straight ahead; and that's all she needed to know. So even after Konoha proper disappeared through the thick woodland, she didn't once think of turning back.

'_I've already lost too much... I'm not losing you too._' What more needed saying? Or thinking? So she kept going. Tree after tree, jump after jump. She was not losing him. Not now... not ever!

* * *

Eventually, the Senju heiress made her way to a clearing. Had she been more aware, she would have recognized that she was in what was left of her ancestral home... but -as it was- she didn't even notice her own legs trembling... or her knees knocking together from the abuse she just put them through.

Still, she trudged on. She knew her father was just up ahead; and judging from the lack of other chakra signatures, he was alone. '_Did he make such a big deal of coming out here to train?_' It wasn't entirely out of character... but the slight scent of blood in the air didn't calm her nerves any.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she approached that signal. '_Slow, steady, calm. Is he meditating? He must be focussing pretty hard for me to sense him ten miles off!_' Which was true. She had felt him touch her on her shoulder. It was odd now that she thought about it... it was the same way he would pat her shoulder whenever he had explained her latest exercise right before he left her alone to practice.

That was why she was half panicked: the signs were all there, clear as crystal... and she hated what they were telling her. And the closer she got to her _Tou-chan_'s chakra signature... the louder those signs were shouting.

'_Something's not right here._' She stopped moving altogether, slowly trying to take in the whole scene around her. There was a little tickling sensation in the pit of her stomach, so she knew there were enemies nearby; and yet she couldn't sense any of them. So she made a dragon handseal, '_Hyouhiryugan!_'

'_One, two... three... four, five... None of them are Tou-chan._' She couldn't sense their chakra, but no one can hide their body heat entirely. Still, it meant that she wouldn't have any clue how strong they were. '_Best to act like I can't sense them then... and see what they want._' She continued over to her previous goal; but with every step she could feel the blood freeze in her veins.

'_Tou-chan's not moving farther away, but his chakra signature is getting weaker. Kuso, I can't find him fast enough like this! I need to use my __Nohkan__..._' With the flick of her wrist, a long, black transverse flute flew out her sleeve and into her hand.

With each note she played, with each fragment of information she retrieved from her _doujutsu _regarding her surroundings... with each heartbeat... she felt a forbidden emotion course through her veins.

_/ "You need to control your anger, Tsu-chan." Tatsuhi explained his then eight year old daughter._

_"I know that!" Her voice echoed menacingly. She somehow couldn't control its volume anymore... or how the deep, vibrating echo that seemed to change her tone into something else entirely._

_"No, you don't know that. You think you know, but you don't have a clue." He told her, clearly expecting more than he was getting out of her. /_

His words made no sense at the time to her. But now? Seeing him laying there... on his back... with two kunai piercing his liver... another up to the ring through his left left lung... with no heartbeat...

**dum dum... dum dum...**

Now... now she feels a burning just behind her navel. Now the pent up anger that she has been denying herself for the majority of her young life… has forced its way to the forefront of her mind. She can't even say for sure if her blood is past the boiling point... or under its freezing point.

**dum dum... dum dum...**

Her senses suddenly sharpen to the point that she actually hears five hearts skip a beat... and her's isn't one of them.

**Dum Dum... Dum Dum...**

Without even understanding what she's doing, her fingers fly through familiar keys on her traditional bamboo flute. "_Shinseina Shoukai!_"

A flood of information assaults her every sense. Within the course of a few seconds, her consciousness is bombarded with a lifetime of memories from not only Yukikami Tatsuhi... but from the now unmistakably identified Uchihas surrounding her. However... the most prominent memory... sticking out like cat at a dog kennel...

_/ "You know, Fugaku..." Tatsuhi laughed through the pain. He knew he was dying, but he laughed anyway. "I almost feel bad for you and your clan."_

_"Empty words, Yukikami." The Uchiha patriarch shot back, pushing his kunai even deeper into Tatsuhi's lung._

_"You really think so..." Tatsuhi coughed upsome blood, before continuing, "When Tsu-chan... finds out... what really happened here... nothing will stop her... from... rip-ping you apart... one... limb... at... a... time..."/_

Suddenly the fuzziness from the visual part of the memory faded into an unending darkness. Tatsuhi's breathing shallowed... his heart slowed...

Then it all stopped.

**DUM DUM! DUM DUM!**

_/ "Fugaku, you think we need to worry about the Senju brat?" Tekka asked, obviously worried. He didn't know anything about the girl... but a Senju survivor? That was something worth worrying about in his opinion! What if she ever found out the truth about her clan?_

_"Tekka, are you scared of a little girl?" Yashiro teased, focussing on healing his own injuries with ijutsu._

_"Little girl or not! She's a Senju!" Tekka retorted indignantly._

_"Relax you two. With her guard dog put to sleep, nothing is stopping us from using her to our advantage." Fugaku pointed out. "Now that everything is put in place, all we need to do is claim our prize."/_

**DUM DUM! DUM DUM!**

"**he promised...**" She recalled. '_He was going to dance with me on my birthday. And THEY __**made **__him break that promise!_' Suddenly her blood was boiling over with a power she never felt before.

Though she clearly remembers his heart beating its last; his diaphragm pulling his lungs open one last time... She just clustered that with all the other memories of death she had: some distant, vague idea of people that... left... three hundred years ago. Her mind simply refused to accept that he was never coming back.

No. To her, he was taking a long nap before an even longer mission. She was simply upset that **they **made him break his promise to dance with her on her birthday... in two weeks time.

"**Who wants to dance with me first?**" There was that vaguely familiar voice rumbling from within her chest. It was as harsh as the winds of a hurricane... and far less forgiving.

As hard as she had been taught to fight it, giving into the rage pent up within her was surprisingly easy. Somehow it felt as if she stopped trying to swim upstream, and could simply let the river take her where ever it pleased. She gazed as her body acted on its own; as her chakra spiked higher than it ever had.

Suddenly her weight was centred on her left leg, with her right leg crossed over it - her right big toe firmly gripping the ground and awaiting the instruction to begin the dance. Her arms were crossed and held loosely against her chest, both fans opened fully and held so that the only thing you could see was a thin slit of her face. This was a stance she had only recently learned, a dance she would later dedicate to her _Okaa-sama_'s skill and her _Tou-chan_'s incessant training: _Shi no Buyo_. The dance of death.

While completely hidden, her _Hyouhiryugan _blazed with an intensity she had never known before. She could sense everything going on for miles in every direction; sense every heartbeat, every breath taken, every move made.

The five Uchihas pretending to be neatly tucked out of her line of sight were communicating via standard Battle Signs known throughout Konoha, so it wasn't hard to see the simple plan they were hatching: all out attack, Shisui is on point with Fugaku staying behind to gather intel. Good plan; if the enemy didn't know all about it.

Tekka and Inabi were the first strike, with Shisui hanging slightly back. Yashiro -being the medic of the team- was bringing up the rear, ready to assist if anything went wrong. That was the exact strategy they had used against Konoha's Ice Dragon, so why wouldn't it work against his precious little girl? That was what they were thinking at least...

"_**Shi no mai - Shodai Furimawasu - Heishi no Fukou**__**!**_" That thought promptly died when that little girl decidedly emitted a foul chakra in one long, green, elongated sliver. Unfortunately, Tekka and Inabi were too close to have any time to react, so the only choice left was to brace for impact.

/_"I don't get it. What's the difference between 'Mai' and 'Buyo'?" Tatsuhi asked his daughter one afternoon after her dance class had let out. He was proud that his little princess had taken his advice and had taken up some of the more delicate Arts to be learned. Even more so, he was proud that she took to it with the same veracity she showed in everything else she does._

_"Well that depends on who you ask. From a Classical Dance point of view any dance composition is referred to as 'buyo', so most compositions you learn from them will be named as such. Also in the Classical sense, 'mai' is a dance move. It simply refers to a twirling motion. So pirouetting, twirling, or simply two people dancing to a slow song could be seen as 'mai'... but that is just the Classical view." _

_Once again, he marvelled at the young lady he had been doing his damnedest to raise properly; the stark differences between her after dance class, or music... contrasted too greatly when compared to her after a day of training with him. 'She is so calm right now; so at peace. Perhaps this was the road she was meant to walk. Perhaps the life of a kunoichi was simply not meant for her.' As they strolled back to their home, he briefly compared this little girl to Senju Emi... 'What would your mother say if she saw how I raised you? Kami-sama... a shinobi is not equipped to raise a civilian daughter.'_/

The _jutsu _flew right through its two victims' chests, and all the attackers paused for a long moment to gauge the damage. Tekka laughed loudly when he realized he was not hurt in the least. The others simply took the far off look in the young dragon's eyes to mean she had simply lost her focus.

The memories kept floating up in Tatsuko's mind. No matter how hard she tried to regain her composure... her balance was gone. Not that it mattered for the fight, somehow her body simply knew what to do, knew what to expect.

So when the Uchihas all (eventually) laughed at her failed _jutsu _-which a jutsu that flew straight through its target without killing or at least wounding them would definitely fall under- she didn't even flinch.

"What's the matter, _hime_? Too distracted to do anything right?" Inabi, the designated youngest of the group, decided to goad the young Senju on. That was the Uchiha group's second mistake that day.

"He who mocks," The young combatant began, closing the fan in her right hand and pointing it at the offender. Her voice was still booming, harsh and cold... but now there was an element of malice hovering just below the surface. Her skin was slowly turning green, her fingers and cuticles widening and becoming brutishly calloused. Then, with one word, she ended her own innocence: "...dies."

Four active pairs of Sharingan eyes watched as Inabi's chest exploded! The only sound to be heard was the man's gurgling attempts to breathe much needed air into his now severed lungs. Which was eventually followed by the thud of him hitting the ground.

Shisui looked at Yashiro for a long moment, a thousand questions running through his head. All the elder _inin_ could do is look at his superior and offer one firm shake of his head; centre to right, right to left, then back to centre. Inabi had no chance of surviving, so Shisui did the only thing he could: he offered his clansman mercy, by ending his suffering.

**"Now where is the fun of you ending my fun like that? Doesn't he deserve to die slowly and painfully?"** Shisui glared harshly at the little girl, who had practically been bathed in his team mate's blood.

"No one deserves such a fate." He retorted, doing his best to not lose his cool.

**"Strange,"** Tatsuko's right fan was slowly aiming for Tekka - the other victim of her jutsu, **"because you and your clansmen took great pride is slaughtering many clans of Konoha... Two of which were my own."** She wasn't shouting, but her almost demonic voice seemed to boom in everyone's ears, yet not even the _Sharingan_ seemed to pick up any trace of a _jutsu_ in what she was doing.

"You know nothing of the matter you speak of." Shisui accused, still not allowing himself to become angry.

**"Of course you would think that. Yet, were you not the one that pierced Senju Arashi's heart?"** A second passed, then another explosion... followed by that same horrid gargling sound. **"The only thing I know nothing of, is which one of you was in fact controlling the Kyuubi no Youko when it swallowed my mother whole."** The Senju heiress paused once again, before muttering the name of the next jutsu:

"_**Shi no mai: Saishuu Furimawasu - Teikoku no Shi.**_"

Then, much to the horror of those present, the girl's stance changed slightly. Her right leg, once crossed over her left, was now well over to the right of her centre of gravity while still keeping her big toe firmly on the ground. Her fans were both held wide, at the extremes of her reach. She held that position for just under a half second... before exploding into movement, making the Hyuuga's prized Kaiten look like a child's toy.

From every slashing movement erupted another long sliver of the accursed green chakra. The pattern woven was almost beautiful, with a lotus petal design roughly three centimetres wide. There was no escape, no hope of survival. Everything within the jutsu's reach was doomed from the start.

Yashiro, being the only one present with any _ijutsu_ training, wanted to compare it to his favoured jutsu style, but the feel of the chakra didn't match. _Ijutsu_ was designed to heal, but could possibly be used to maim, if not kill its target. Though the colours were similar, the green chakra ripping through his body one slash at a time could only be used to slaughter.

And so, both he and Shisui decided to end this before the girl got the chance to repeat the show. They both _shunshinned_ to the very centre of the vibrating and pulsating glob of pure evil that was spewing sliver after sliver of the substance neither _shinobi_ wanted to touch them... and yet they had already been so saturated with it they knew no other way.

The closer the two got to the girl, the more they noticed her chest swelling... almost ballooning with muscle tone. The girl's skin was now a completely green -a sickly jade green by their estimation- and her hair now matched it perfectly. Yashiro, who was attacking from the front so Shisui could flank the target, saw her right eye swell shut. This girl was transforming into something, and none of them knew what.

Still, it wouldn't matter. Yashiro's Chakra blade, and Shisui's _Raiton_ enhanced _kodachi_ would make short work of her. By their calculations, Yahiro would purée her brains and Shisui would impale both lungs and her heart before the girl even had the chance to blink.

If Tatsuko hadn't headbutted Yahiro's hand, shattering his elbow, and Shisui's kodachi actually penetrated, they might have been right. When the next _jutsu _was named above a certain elder Uchiha's wailing and the cracking of a sword, they both knew it was time to put their head between their legs and kiss their ass goodbye,

"_**Senju Hijutsu - Sen Hotondo Bakudan.**_"

If you were to count, you would hear the exact number of one thousand little explosions; each detonated successively, a mere fraction of a second after its predecessor.

Up in a tree, and remarkably unscathed, Fugaku was studiously observing the entire event. He wanted more than anything to copy those _jutsu_, but somehow he couldn't. His clan's prized _doujutsu _was failing to so much as pick up on the oddity that this _jutsu _represented, let alone copy it.

So all he could do was stare in slack jawed awe as his last two subordinates entrails and blood rained down on the little Senju. The only thing that even remained of the two, were their perfectly preserved bones. Though covered in blood, it was obvious that they suffered no damage what so ever.

Not willing to risk exposure to the fatal _jutsu_, Fugaku fled the scene. Silently he swore that he would make that treasure trove of _jutsu_ his, and he had the perfect way of claiming her.

* * *

**~The calm before the storm~**

The next afternoon, after Fugaku had left Hiruzen's office. A lone figure, bathed in shadows gazed upon the stack of decidedly fraudulent documents meant to ensnare Senju Tatsuko and hijack her into the Uchiha clan. The motifs were blatant and bold faced, but the execution was so deviously cunning that it was impossible to prove false.

So after the three in Hiruzen's care left the room, the shadowy figure announced his presence. "You know this is a trap. Deny Uchiha's request."

The professor, Sandaime Hokage, Shinobi no Kami... all names were worthless now. In the ageing man's opinion, he had failed utterly to keep that little girl safe for the last time. No more.

"Kuroikage, listen and listen well. I want those responsible dead." Hiruzen announced.

"Too late. The Senju has already taken care of that." The now tagged visage nonplussed.

"Oh, has she really?" Hiruzen tapped the stack of paperwork Fugaku brought before him, fighting the urge to reduce it to its base atomic elements.

"You confuse the death of her father with the plot mounted against her." Kuroikage droned.

"Oh? And what would happen if the Senju Library was ever to fall in the hands of the Uchiha clan?" Though Hiruzen asked it innocently, lightheartedly and non-abrasively... the shadowy figure still cringed at the very thought of it.

Well over fourteen centuries of jutsu research, all the intimate secrets of _Mokuton_, _Otouton_, the Senju's advanced elemental training techniques, and who knows what else... in the Uchiha clan's claws? And that was without ever having confirmed if the Uzumaki Library had ever been annexed into the fold...

If Uchiha Fugaku ever gained access to that Library, nothing would stop him from whatever he was planning on doing with it! That forbidden knowledge was that dangerous!

Now all that stood in Fugaku's way... was a ten year old girl...

* * *

After being shown to her new room by the king of all pricks -in her opinion at least- Tatsuko decided to drop her things unceremoniously and get as far away from the hordes of vultures she was now living amongst. She didn't care where she was going to go, how she was going to get there, or even what she would do there. She just didn't want to be in that compound any longer than absolutely necessary.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" A tall -well every adult was tall compared to a ten year old- woman with long, well cared for hair and wearing a house dress asked playfully. Tatsuko almost did a double take when she saw the smile on the woman's face. This wasn't the tight, almost forced, smile she had grown accustomed to from every Uchiha she had the misfortune of meeting... this was warm, hearty... motherly.

"I have not had the opportunity to train as yet." Was all the young lady said.

A look crossed the Uchiha's face - well, Tatsuko assumed it was an Uchiha. "Though it is very important to train regularly, it is not very polite to run out of your new home without even introducing yourself."

"If you do not know who I am, then my introducing myself will only make things worse. Ask Fugaku or Itachi." Tatsuko's voice was sharp, but her anger was reserved for someone other than this obviously amiable woman.

"You could pass for Emi's twin," The simple words kicked the air from the Senju's lungs, "but the second you open your mouth I hear Tatsuhi talking." Before there was chance for a reaction -or more importantly, for Tatsuko to cry- there was a slight spray of water, and Uchiha Mikoto found herself alone in the living room of her home.

The rest of the day, Tatsuko continuously told herself that she was working on her stamina; which was a nice way of saying she wanted to run away as fast and as far as she could. It was a shame that after her seventeenth lap around Konoha she was starting to tire...

Mikoto's words -simple and warm, as they were intended- haunted the ten year old's thoughts.

What made it infinitely worse though, were the bubbles of memories that were assailing her. Painful, plentiful... and attached to incredibly powerful emotions.

'_This is why I HATE this burden!_' She mentally shouted, clutching her head to try force the memories out.

/ _"What do you wanna do today, Mikoto-chan?" Senju Emi asked playfully as she swatted Uzumaki Kushina's hand from trying to ruffle her hair again._

_"I'm not sure. Otou-sama wants me to train, but I feel like just hanging out with you two." Mikoto groused. Emi wasn't sure why, but she got the distinct impression that Mikoto disliked being with her family._

_"How about this..." Kushina began, smiling from ear to ear._

_"Oh no!" Mikoto paled at the implication presented to her. "Everytime you get that look you have a prank in mind and Otou-sama will punish me if he somehow catches wind of me getting involved in one of your pranks again!"_

_"Who said anyone's going to find out - dattebane!"_/

When the memory subsided, Tatsuko found herself on her hands and knees gasping for air. That was happening more and more often since her _Tou-chan_ died; and needless to say it worried her.

'_Get a grip, Tatsuko! You know those memories are trigged when you are introduced to a familiar, or even similar, situation as the memory itself._' She explained herself as she tried to get her own breathing back under her control. '_Stop letting Okaa-sama's memories mess with your head, or you will never be able to use this kinjutsu to your advantage!_'

How easy it was to tell herself that... but to actually put that into practice? For years she had simply analysed every situation to the point where nothing should be unexpected... and yet...

/ _"Otouto-sama, you really shouldn't focus on too many things at once." Senju Hashirama warned warmly. Tobirama could only smile, not even lifting his eyes from the Ijutsu scroll he had been studying for the last several hours. "I'm serious, it is already dangerous enough that you bear the burden of being the Librarian for both the Senju and the Uzumaki clans."_

_"Oni-sama, being married to a jincukiri you should know that some burdens are easier to bare than others." Tobirama pointed out softly. He had total respect for his sister-in-law, but the burden he bore was worlds apart from hers and they both knew it._

_"Does this help you to focus better then?" He asked curiously._

_"It is not about focussing, it is about not focussing." The white haired boy soothed cryptically._

_"If at the tender age twelve you are already making no sense, how can you be so optimistic about the future?" _

_"Because unless I learn to see the memories and not focus on them, I will be the easiest target in our clan." _

_"Memories? You mean you can see them?"_

_"I see little else. Do you have any idea how distracting it is to see the Rikudo Sennin singing love songs to his beloved?"_

_Hashirama was obviously having an odd though, judging by the look on his face. "I would assume this has more practical applications than learning a new song?"_

_"If used properly I can learn any lesson, so long as one of our ancestors learned. Social, economical, herbal, medicinal... the only price is that you don't get to pick when it comes up... or at least, not that I have yet discerned."_/

Tatsuko smiled, despite her breathlessness. '_Leave it Nidaime-sama to show me the way, even a half century after his demise at the hands of the Kinkaku Butai, he is still the beacon that guides me through life. Why hadn't I asked myself that a long time ago?_' She paused momentarily and tried to reassess the situation.

'_And where the hell am I now?_'

Somehow, during that last -and excruciatingly long- flashback, her feet decided to take her somewhere she didn't know. Dark hallways without so much as a candle to illuminate her surroundings and -oddly- not so much as a clue as to how she got in there in the first place.

'_Okay, I know this is not a genjutsu, seeing that no one would take their time to make it this unbelievable... still..._' She thought, silently activating her _doujutsu_. As information flooded her senses, a lone figure rose from the concrete floor like a wraith... or a zombie, depending on what you thought about the lifeless look on his face.

"Welcome, Librarian." Was all he said. Well, she assumed it was a 'he', seeing that the body heat signature matched that of an adult male. You can never be too careful though...

"Where am I?" She asked carefully, not reacting to that epithet in the least.

"You are somewhere secure. Though I wonder why you chose to come here so soon after your father's death." He didn't ask, but he didn't need to.

"_Tou-chan_... His last conscious thought was for me to take over his mission." She answered cryptically. Somehow the shadowy figure was familiar to her, but not from her own memories... "You are _Kuroikage_... the guardian of the two."

"And you are Tatsuko, daughter to Emi and Tatsuhi. A most curious mix... so tell me, little dragon... are you a guardian, or a treasure to guard?" That was a bit vague for her, so she dared not give a binding answer.

"I am myself. When the time is ripe I shall decide my own fate."

"How evasive. How, then, do you intend to fulfil your father's mission?"

"I don't-"

_/ "Tatsuhi, have you heard? Minato and Kushina are pregnant!" Emi smiled brightly. She subconsciously rubbed her swollen belly, "Do you think that our children will grow up as close as we have?"_

_"I think it'll be impossible for them not to." Tatsuhi smiled sadly as he wrapped his arms around his love's waist. Slowly, methodically, he rubbed her belly, thinking about his lot in life._

_"Why are you suddenly so serious?" Emi asked cautiously._

_"Because I have no idea how to raise our child." Was all he said. Emi couldn't see the faraway look in his eyes, but she felt it. She knew he was completely clueless how to raise a child, having lost his father young - too young._

_"With love and discipline, how else?" She smiled as she placed her hands over his. She always felt safest in his arms, knowing that he would never let anything happen to her. Sometimes she wished she knew how to return the feeling to him..._

_"That's not what I mean, hime." His voice was soft and thoughtful. She loved the way it rumbled from his chest, how his warm breath would always kiss her skin as he spoke. Kami-sama, she loves that man! "I just don't know if I should raise a Yukikami, or a Senju."_

_"She's both, so why choose?" Emi laughed feeling him tense slightly at her words. 'Men and wanting sons...'_

_"Did Tsunade already conf-"_

_"No need. A mother always knows." He became very quiet for a long time. Too quiet... For the first time in all the years she'd known the man, she wondered if she knew him entirely... 'Why is he hesitating? What is he holding back? Did I disappoint him? Would he really-' Question after question assaulted her peace of mind, slowly building up doubts that were never there before._

_"Do you know the difference between a dragon and its treasure?" He finally asked, breaking her out of her thoughts._

_"No, what is the difference?" This was all becoming some what more intense that she was hoping for. This was the first night off he had in forever, and she just wanted to cuddle in bed al night long, but this was not exactly a mood setter for that..._

_"Night and day. The dragon needs a treasure to guard, and the treasure needs a dragon to guard it..." He trailed off, rubbing their growing little girl gently._

_"So what's the problem?"_

_"Dragons breed dragons, not treasure..."_

_Emi was quiet, slowly thinking about all the things he was not saying. "Do you regret being Minato's yojinbo?"_

_"Never." He answered evenly. "Never."/_

Tatsuko took a few deep breaths, trying and failing miserably to calm her erratic heart. She felt warm and cold at the same time, like she was flying through the clouds and plummeting to the ground... she didn't know what to feel, what to think... what to become...

"Stalling your answer is an answer in itself." This 'Kuroikage' seemed to read her mind; or more troubling... he red her emotions.

"What would you have me say? Feel... do... I don't-"

"Knowing is one thing; understanding another." Tatsuko gasped for air, not fully understanding why the visions were coming at her so intensely… or so constantly.

"I… just…"

"Come, let me show you what the difference is."

* * *

She had no idea why she followed him. She knew better than to trust people; her life had taught her better. Something about that man just demanded she trust him. She didn't understand it, but she didn't question it either. All she knew at that point, was that Kuroikage was a close and trusted friend of her father… but was that enough? She wasn't sure.

"Though that door," The walking enigma announced, effectively ripping the young lady out of her own little world, "you will find what you need to decide. Take your time, but be silent. My treasure rests there."

Slowly, silently, Senju Tatsuko opened the door and peered into the dimly lit room. The room itself was small, and on the far side lay a single bed… a hospital bed. She could not yet see its occupant, but the equipment attached to the patient were well known to her…

'_The same equipment that was Naruto was hooked up to while he was in a coma…_'

The patient's heartbeat, brain activity, breathing, oxygen in the blood, chakra levels… everything was being meticulously monitored and registered to track the patient's health at all times. There were another two machines hook up to the patient, one was for nourishing, the other for hydrating.

Too many questions popped into her head at once, too many unanswerable questions. She carefully stepped closer to the figure hidden beneath the plain white sheet.

"That's…!"

* * *

Anger. That's all she felt; anger. The unquenchable, undeniable, highly appropriate sensation burning just below the surface… that unappeased itch that was just begging her to act, and soon. The face she had seen in that bed, knowing who that patient was… the one that Kuroikage had dedicated his entire life to guarding… knowing what was really going on behind that scenes. It just made her angry.

Suddenly it felt like her Saru-_ji-chan_ had stopped caring about the people that mattered most in Konoha. Like he had turned his back on the principles her father raised her to hold above all things. Seeing the wrongs committed by the clan that claimed her father's life, and ruined so many others; and how Sarutobi Hiruzen failed to act time and time again…

Anger.

In the end Kuroikage had made her an offer to appease Tatsuhi's honour. An offer to be a sleeper agent, to gather all the needed information for an S-class mission to be commenced in six months time: the Uchiha Massacre.

Tatsuko didn't care if it was a legal mission. She didn't bother to ask anything other than what she could do to help. Her task was all she cared about. And even then, she was greatly disappointed in the limited involvement she would have in the actual mission.

_/ "I have no time to coddle those who cannot handle themselves in battle. If you wish to do anything other than gather intelligence, then you must prove to me that you are capable." The dry, toneless voice of the shadow announced._

_"How?" Her eyes were cold and steeled. He didn't answer. Instead he tossed a single scroll and simply disappeared./_

_'A training regimen, and four A-class jutsu… Kokuangyo no jutsu, Mikazuki no mai, Suriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu, Suiton: Daibakufu no jutsu...'_ She thought about that for a long moment._ 'He wants me to prove I can perform on Kage level in genjutsu, taijutsu, ninjutsu… and seal knowledge and speed.'_ She doubted she could do any of the four jutsu… let alone all four within six months…

_'I'm going to pull it off! I don't care if I have to work myself to death in the process!'_

* * *

As Tatsuko arrived at her temporary shelter, she thought about the odd introduction to Mikoto. Why had they acted so weird earlier? _'Well I was simply in a rush to leave, so I didn't really take my time to realise it was her until I was out of the house…'  
_Somehow it didn't occur to Tatsuko that Mikoto was simply a home maker these days, so she never thought to look past the 'lady of the house' for the ex-ANBU operative. And besides, Tatsuko had never once seen the woman in anything other than ANBU uniform - well, not personally at least. So the simple house dress and welcoming smile was the ultimate camouflage in her opinion.  
Still, Mikoto should have easily known who Tatsuko was… So why point out her heritage, but not her name?

"Had a nice day?" Fugaku asked, almost causing Tatsuko to jump out of her own skin. The Senju took a moment to calm her heartbeat and breathing before gazing up at… **it**.  
"Wonderful. And you?" Her tone hovered just above freezing, and was marginally socially acceptable. To those who knew her, that was the first sign that she was on the verge of gutting the man.

"Confusing, seeing that you simply disappeared most of the day when you were expected to train here."  
"I shall train where and when I deem fit, so kindly fuck off." She intoned emotionlessly.  
"Don't you da-"  
"Uchiwa-san, I would advise you to remember that you are not talking to a mere child. You are talking to the head of the Yukikami and Senju clans." She reminded her temporary captor. "Not to mention the daughter of the man you killed." She walked past him, not even sparing him a glance.  
"You will learn to respect me child, you have already seen what happens to the opposition."  
"Fugaku, I respected no one before you came along. What did you expect would change?" As she flitted up the stairs, Tatsuko sensed an almost stifling killing intent wash over the room. She laughed it off, not giving it a second thought.

"Dearest husband, can I talk to you… privately." Mikoto asked in a far too sweet and gentle voice.

* * *

After that incident, time seemed to fly by for Tatsuko. She spent her every waking moment training. Starting every morning at four with _taijutsu_ drills. When she got tired, she would switch to her _ninjutsu_ training. When she was low on chakra, she would meditate and practice her _genjutsu_; mostly trying to imagine how new _genjutsu_ could look – you need a very vivid imagination for any _genjutsu_ to work properly. Then as after meditating she would start _taijutsu_ again.

The only time she was ever in the Uchiha compound was when she slept, and even then it was behind a very securely locked door. She rarely spoke, she didn't go to check on her family –what was left of it– she simply worked herself into the ground day after day… after day.

"Though I admire your training regimen," Itachi announced one afternoon, without preamble, "I doubt it is healthy."  
"Stalking me to steal anyyou see?" Came the venomous reply. Tatsuko never once pretended to so much as like any of the Uchiha –which was mutual– so why was the heir of their clan bothering her again?  
"Would you like to rest for a bit?" His tone was emotionless as always - ever the picturesque _shinobi_.  
"I'll rest when my clan's honour allows it." She ignored him, continuing her tiger's claw push-ups. If she lost count because of him, she would simply start back at one… seeing that she was fifty short of her thousand mark, she was not looking forward to it.  
"I don't think they woul-"  
"Say that after you've lost everything you love, Uchiha. You know everything I know, yet you are here trying to strum up a friendship. I'm sorry, but there is little I am willing to offer other than a kunai through your cursed eyes."  
"I know." He said sadly. The one emotion he was willing to show, was his sadness at her anger, at her emptiness. "If things had been different, Senju-hime, if your clan had survived, would you have been so angry?"  
"And which clan do you mean? The Senju, who were slaughtered either on the battlefield against the _Kyuubi_, or in their beds later that night as they slept… or the Yukikami, who treated me like a virus infecting their leader. Which clan should have survived, Uchiha? Which clan shouldn't have been slaughtered?"  
"I am not here to-"  
"Itachi, what do you want?" She finally gave up trying to keep count; she was too distracted right now. She sat with her back facing him, refusing to so much as look at him. _'Guess it's back at one after a five minute break.'  
_"Mother asked me to inform you that you will be going on a two week journey with her."  
"I refuse. I am too busy to indulge anyone in pleasantries." Itachi just smiled at her sadly. He allowed his eyes to wander over the back of her form for a long moment. He had been watching her train for quite some time now -though mostly when Natsumi was busy- and he was quite impressed with her.  
"Then we shall simply plot something else to keep you out of the village for two weeks." He nonplussed.  
'Two weeks would be…' Her eyes widened in shock. How had she not realised that the six months were almost up? "Why would that be?" She knew he understood what was going to happen, but it made no sense to her. The math was undeniable evidence, but…  
"Kuroikage's orders." Her entire being tensed for a fraction of a second. "You have done everything he asked and more, but you have not impressed him with the training yet."  
"So the training was meant to keep me busy while bigger fish got into position." She chuckled humourlessly.  
"No, it was to make you strong enough to give you a fighting chance. Six months was simply too short a time." Without warning, Itachi flickered out of view and knocked the little girl out with an open-palmed strike to the back of her neck.

"Rest now, Yukikami Tatsuko… when you return to Konoha, your clan shall be avenged, your family's honour shall be sated."

* * *

**~Round 2~**

"Itachi, have you done as I asked?" A tall, lanky figure asked. His flaming red hair and toneless, almost harshly whispered voice always sent shivers down the Uchia prodigy's spine.

"Tatsuko is leaving Konoha as we speak; Yuuna and Hikaru are being taken with her. Though I am curious as to why Naruto was to remain here."

"You have your orders, now carry then out."

"I have one request." Slowly, Itachi turned away from the man, walking towards the only door in the hospital room. "Take care of Natsumi, should anything happen to me." He didn't wait for a reply.

"And so, another shinobi offers himself up…" Blue mournful eyes stared at the spot the Itachi just vacated. "Peace bares a hefty price tag."

* * *

On the other side of Konoha a group of travellers were just reaching the gate. The lone adult –a female ANBU officer wearing a plain white mask– was showing the permit of passage granted by the Hokage himself. Kamizuki Izumo zealously read every word written and checked the seal for authenticity, while Hagane Kotetsu rolled his eyes and mumbled something.

"So, the eternal chuunins are back on guard duty?"

"Hai." Kotetsu looked towards the gate, obviously not feeling comfortable with the direction of the conversation.

"For your information, monitoring the vast number of people entering and leaving Konoha is a grave responsibility and vital to the safety of **our** village." Izumo pointed out indignantly.

"Don't make me sneeze on you, _Tsuki_-_chan_."

Staring in wide eyed shock, both chuunin instantly recognize the nickname. Sure, everyone knew about Izumo's mysophobia, but only one person alive ever called Izumo that! "Mikoto-_sensei_!"

"Shhh." One finger hovered over the ANBU's mouth –or where the two thought her mouth would be.

"What's with the mask, _sensei_?" both guards asked as one. They both knew their sensei quit ANBU years earlier, and even then her's was the 'eagle' mask.

A series of emotions played across the mother of two's eyes - a lifetime of promises made but never kept. "I owe it to my two best friends." Was all she said, signalling to her group to move out.

The lone female ANBU, a redhead and a white haired boy carrying an obviously unconscious blond moved at a civilian's pace to their destination. In their wake, two confused guards could only wonder at the odd parting words left with them.

* * *

**~? POV~**

Here I stand, on a small hill overlooking Konoha. Before me I see only darkness, but I find it to my liking. I know that in that darkness, the Uchiha found their death. One by one they fought – one by one they fell. They are free from the pain that plagues me. The same freedom I want.

Drop by drop, I feel my own blood dripping from the tips of my fingers... and with each drop I feel my heart sinking further. The pain from the wound subsided almost immediately, but the betrayal I felt still stings. That will fade – all pain fades in time.

Behind me, I can almost feel the three bodies strewn about. They won't even remember what happened, I won't let them.

And yet those eyes haunt me... Those eyes that always held love and admiration... the one in whose eyes I could do no wrong...

The betrayal in those eyes... I doubt I will ever forget that look. And yet, the cold, lifeless eyes of my clansmen... their eyes will haunt my dreams forever. Does the one annul the other? Does it matter?

Death is so final, but those that have gone before – they are free. It is those of us left behind that suffer in their steed.

So I will choose to suffer, but only for you... little brother. For you I will bare this fate. To save you from ever becoming someone like me. I will guard you, but at a distance. I know you won't understand, but I can no longer be the person you once knew... the person you once loved.

You may choose to hate me for it; that too I will bare. You may choose to see my actions today as betrayal; that too I will bare. Just don't hurt... don't you ever feel what I feel – or what I used to feel.

Grow up well. Fall in love. And never – ever – bury your heart, as I must do. If you do, Kaa-san will never forgive me.

I love you... _otouto-chan_... Never forget that.

* * *

**_A/N:_**

**_And so we finally have the injecting chapter about the Uchiha's fate. Not as gorey as I planned, but definitely as dark and depressing at the end. It was meant to be a lot longer, but I figure everyone would get tired of waiting so I decided to end it where I did._**

**_As always lots of L.O.V.E. going out to Kiravu. I honestly wouldn't know what to do without my VERY PATIENT beta!_**

**_Any way, this is where I apologize for dropping off the map for... forever. Sorry, really. Between finding a new job, relationship troubles, and so much more, I simply didn't have it in me to work on this. And to show you, this was actually supposed to be released for Easter... I am that late, I know._**

**_I hope you all like the latest instalment, and I will do all I can to avoid another delay like this one. Thank you for your patience with me thus far :D_**

* * *

**_Shinseina Shoukai_**- Divine Inquiry (introduced last chapter)

**_Shi__ no buy__o_** - (traditional) Dance of death

_**Shi no mai - Shodai Furimawasu - Heishi no Fukou** - _(twirling) Dance of Death - First great twirl - Soldier's Misfortune

**_Hime_ **- Princess

**_Inin_** - Medic Nin

___**Shi no mai: Saishuu Furimawasu - Teikoku no Shi** - _(twirling) Dance of Death - Final twirl - Death of an empire

**_Ijutsu_ **- Medical technique.

**_Shunshin no jutsu_** - Body flicker technique. This is the technique that Shisui earned his nickname by, seeing that he was so fast with it that he never had to to hide his next destination. He would seem to disappear right in front your eyes when he used it.

**_Senju Hijutsu - Sen Hotondo Bakudan _**- Senju Hidden Technique - One thousand little explosions.

**Tsuki-chan **- Dear moon, it is a play on Izumo's name. Look it up, you'll see what I mean ;)

**Mysiophobia** - fear of germs.


	20. Arc2: Student 5, Ano, gomen

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Five Ninja Academy Students**_

_**It's been a week since the Ninja-tag games. Class is back in full swing. However, it seems that certain students are holding back some painful secrets. What are they hiding? And why?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Hinata's POV~**

It's been a year since our senior class started. A full twelve months of starting every morning together in the same six by five metre classroom. Fifty-two weeks of Monday to Friday classes together. Roughly three-hundred school days spent together… and I have yet to make a single friend.

'_Maybe my expectations of a friend are too high?_' No, that couldn't be further from the truth. I am just too shy to open my mouth to say 'hi'. '_I can't even say two words without stuttering._' Even then, the first word is always '_ano_', so I have plenty of practice saying THAT word.

"… so you could say that Konoha is really just…" Iruka-_sensei_'s droning was soothing most days, but today he picked the founding clans as subject matter. As fascinating as it was, it was something I had been taught long ago.

"… Senju Touka married into the Hyuuga clan as a token of…" I never did ask about that, perhaps Kou-_san_ would know more? He's the closest thing I have to a friend…

"Iruka-_sensei_, if that's true then that would make Tatsuko-_chan_ and Hinata-_chan_ cousins, right?" Kiba-_kun_ asked.

"Well, I'm not really sure about that. Perhaps the girls can answer that one?" _Sensei_ looked at me expectantly, but he wasn't too surprised when I looked away – I think. "Tatsuko-_chan_?"

I think she shrugged, or something – seeing that _sensei_ simply continued after that as if nothing had happened. "... which brings us to the Uzumaki clan, which Naruto is the last known member of." Na-Na-Naruto-_kun_...? Suddenly Iruka-_sensei_ had my undivided attention. "Distant relatives to the Senju Clan, the Uzumaki were renowned for their _Fuuinjutsu_ – which became so feared that _Iwa_ and _Kumo_ teamed up to conquer them in the last phases of the Second Great Shinobi War. The surviving members of that clan fled to – among other places – Konoha, though it is believed that some of the younger ones got lost along the way."

"So the _dobe_ is actually someone important?" Sasuke asked. Well, I would sooner say he brooded with an open mouth – that boy is so...mean-spirited.

'_How could he say that about Naruto-kun! He's been doing his best and really catching up! He always does his best!_'

"They are greater than the Uchiwa clan, Sasume. So watch your tongue." Hikaru-_kun_ always had a strange way of talking, especially to Sasuke. He would use harsh words, mispronounce every name he could, but he never spoke angrily. In fact it was as if, in his opinion, Sasuke wasn't worth getting emotional about – or anyone really. His attitude towards everyone is just so... cold...

"What was that?"

"You heard me. In Konoha, there are FOUR great clans – also known as the Founding Clans. That is what this whole lecture is about. You should pay better attention."

"Common knowledge, Yukikami. What's your point?"

"You are one of four, dipshit. One of Four. Senju, Uzumaki, Hyuuga and Uchiwa. One of four. You are no more special that the other three."

"The strongest clan in the Elemental Nations is now and always has been the Uchiha Clan!"

I think that was where Tatsuko drew the line. Just the mention of Sasuke's Clan's name seemed to set off some chain reaction in her. She stood up and said something I don't think I could ever forget: "Iruka-_sensei_, I will make this perfectly clear, either the Sasuke leaves, or I leave. I have no desire to sit here and listen to him brag over the pride of a clan long dead."

Why won't I forget her words? The complete change in her demeanor. She seemed to sit up a little straighter, she gripped her pen a little tighter, her legs, shoulders and biceps tensed. And when she spoke, it was in a manner that simply demanded utter respect, while showcasing her self confidence... How I envy her for that.

"Tatsuko-_chan_, I'm sorry, but I cannot allow either case. My lec-"

"_Sensei_, perhaps I was unclear. If that waste of sperm wishes to be the most important person in this room, I will leave and grant his wishes. This is non negotiable, even if you demand we report to the Hokage, there is no way in HELL I will stay here." With that she simply started walking. She didn't wait, she no longer asked... she didn't care. A sign of either arrogance... or confidence.

Seeing that Hikaru, Kiba, Yuuna and Naruto got up to leave with her, I would assume it was the latter.

"Don't you dare walk away!" Sasuke responded, just as they were reaching the door. From the corner of my eye, I noticed his hand reaching into his pocket as if to throw something. What was worse, I could see Tatsuko and group already tensing and waiting to react.

"ENOUGH!" Iruka-_sensei_'s _genjutsu_ demon-head shouted. _Sensei_ is many things, but he is no fool. He could tell that blood would be shed if he did nothing.

If only he had acted sooner...

Just as a _kunai_ was leaving his hand, just as the die was cast and a war was about to break out between two ancient clans once again...

Two loud cracks resounded through the room, followed by a very crisp voice ringing out over everyone's shock. "Arrogant fuck." All I can honestly say that I saw was two blurs.

Hikaru-_kun_ – the one who spoke – and Naruto-_kun_ must have _shunshinned_ over to Sasuke, which was amazing in and of itself... but what really took my breath away was the look in Naruto-_kun_'s eyes. The steely resolve I found there, the desire to stop Sasuke at all costs... the absolute refusal to let anyone get hurt... "Naruto-_kun_..."

"I think they killed 'im." I heard Kiba-_kun_ say, though it sounded like he was smiling from ear to ear.

"A shame they didn't. _Sensei_, I would advise a medic. Hikaru, Naruto, we're leaving." As they – once again – turned to leave, I looked at Sasuke. There was sizable crack in the concrete, and a blood smear leading to the side of his head. Then... just as Naruto was passing in front of me – luckily I was sitting in the front row – I realized that my head was just about at his waist... my eyes – tilted slightly downwards, as always - were gazing at the slight bulge in his pants...

There was a brief moment where I realized that that the bulge was getting bigger all the time... '_I don't think that it's hard... it's just big!_'

I passed out after that... I think...

* * *

'_Another day comes to a close - another opportunity, cast to the wind._' I think that everyday, just as I pass through the final door to exit the school. Today is no different. '_I suppose Otou-sama is right, no good will come of me._'

'_I wonder why I didn't see Naruto-kun after he left with the others. Did he get in trouble? And what about Kiba-kun? Surely they wouldn't get in trouble for defending their own against an uncalled for attack. But was it really an attack? The kunai barely even left his ha-_'

"Senju Touka."

"Ah!" I honestly thought my heart was going to stop. I was so preoccupied with my own thoughts that I didn't notice anyone waiting for me just outside the door. "ano… h-he-hello… tatsuko-_chan_… wh-wh-wha-"

"Sensei asked earlier about Senju Touka, the Genjutsu mistress of the Senju clan." Her voice was calm, even… unafraid. She didn't stutter, fidget or use any slang. Even her diction was perfect. If only I could be like that…

"_h-hai_…"

"Kou-_san_ mentioned 'the mingled history of the clans' before, do you remember?" I could only nod this time. "Do you want to hear about it?"

"_ano_… i mean… that is to say… i…" Why am I so flustered? She's just trying to be friendly!

Tatsuko-_chan_ held out her hand, with her palm facing me. 'Stop.' She then took a deep breath, with both hands – palms facing down, level with the ground slowly wafting higher… She seemed to lead with the heel of her palm, her fingers swimming along with the motions – almost resembling silk scarf while it's dancing around her. When her hands reached about shoulder height she stopped for a moment. Gently – almost gracefully – her hands wafted back down as she breathed out.

She then looked at me expectantly. '_Breathe?_' She nodded. '_Can you read my mind?_' Her hands wafted higher again. I'm not sure why, but I breathed with the slow and steady rhythm she set for me. In… Out... In… Out… In… Out…

'_I feel so calm – so at ease._' It wasn't until the warmth of her hand on my shoulder caught me off guard, that I even realised that I had shut my eyes – which became somewhat obvious when they snapped open.

'_Senju Tatsuko… really… who are you?_'

* * *

Kou-_san_ decided to take Tatsuko-_chan_ and I to a... biitsu... biituro... bii-su-tu-ro to have lunch – he said something about owing her as much…? Well, she seemed to know what he was talking about. With every passing moment, the list of oddities about her got longer. Not oddities – that's not quite right… um… mysteries? Yes, that'll do. The list of mysteries surrounding her is quite long. '_Who are you?_'

"Hinata-_sama_, is the food to your liking?" Kou-_san_ tugged me back from my 'own little world', as he liked to call it.

"nn." I affirmed, carefully taking a few nibbles of food – some weird mix of ramen noodles, with a much thicker sauce, and a combination of ground chicken and beef rolled into balls about an inch and a half thick, then sprinkled with a powdery cheese – to satisfy his concern. I had always been taught to eat only little bits – as to not make any mess – but this food was making it difficult. The weird utensils weren't helping very much either, though they were slightly more useful than chopsticks would have been.

Tatsuko, on the other hand, seemed to fare fairly well with the – what were they called again... - 'foruku' and 'spuunu'? She had abandoned the knife quickly and was rolling the noodles into a swirl by rotating the fork along its vertical axis at a ninety degree angle into the dip in the head of the spoon. The noodles seemed to bunch up into well behaved clumps, which is when she would slurp it up... Ungraceful, messy and highly inappropriate, but the effectiveness of her technique made up for it.

All the while, though we were quiet, I could feel a warmth about her. I'm not sure what it was exactly – something... something comfortable. It was an incredible feeling.

It was like she didn't mind the quirks that were glaringly obvious in my behaviour, though it was obvious that she noticed. She knew, but clearly didn't care.

Even when I was staring at the sauce that had stuck on her face, she just smiled at me, then she tugged her eyebrows together and frowned slightly. It was an action that was undone as quickly as it was done, clearly a private message. '_I think that's her way of asking what's wrong._' I took my napkin and rubbed at the spot on my face, trying to hint at the location on her face.

She dabbed her finger gently on the exact spot – though I am glad she did so on her face and not mine – and noticed the sauce smear. She licked the sauce away, dabbed at the spot again, and repeated the action until she noticed no more redness on her digit. She then looked at me a little funny, like she was puzzling something together.

I looked at her napkin, trying not to smile at her actions, but I'm sure she noticed anyway.

"You remind me of Yuuna." Tatsuko announced, after giggling in spite of herself. I assume that's a good thing, because she and Yuuna-_chan _were always together and got along well enough – as far as I can tell. "Always willing to bend over backwards to make people happy, and never thinking of yourself."

"_gomen_." I lowered my head, to the right… like I always do. '_I can't seem to do anything right, __can I…?_'

"If you are sorry about being similar to some I love dearly, or reminding me about the most cherished characteristic of that same someone… then perhaps we need to work on more than just our homework for Anko-_sensei_'s medical class tomorrow. _Ne_?" I nodded, but felt too embarrassed to look her in the eyes. She was right, of course.

* * *

I watched Tatsuko-_chan _all afternoon – while we were chatting on the way to the Hyuuga compound, while we were practicing the newest techniques from the medical elective (a simple detoxify _jutsu_ we were to practice on small vials of a weak snake venom), even during dinner with _Otou-sama_ and Hanabi-_chan._ She was wearing a mask. No… she only wore one mask at a time, but he had dozens of masks to choose from.

The fervent student, the counselor, the big sister, the _yojinbo_, the ballerina, the heiress, the artist… all masks – and those were just the ones I could identify.

'_What lies beneath those masks? Who is in there? Do I even have the right to wonder?_'

"… Touka of the Second House of the Senju Clan is the younger sister of Tobirama, the Nidaime Hokage. She married Hyuuga Shumei who was nearly a decade her senior-" Great-grandmother Touka was born a Senju? "which would technically make us sixth cousins."

"Furthermore, Tobirama's only son, Nobuyoki married Hyuuga Ikumi of the Cadet branch. They had three children, Arashi, who became an ANBU captain by the age of fourteen, and the twins Nanami – the elder of the two – who later became your mother..." … I'm pretty sure all brain functions stopped for a moment... "… and Senju Emi... my mother."

'_Her eyes…_' As shocked as I was, I almost missed a gap in her mask. For a fraction of a second her mask fell… I think. There was an emotion that her eyes refused to show through all her other masks, so this had to be real… '_She looks so sad…_' No, sad isn't right… empty, hollow… defeated.

"_ano_… w-what h-h-happened to her…?" There it is again. That look.

"… she died…" Was all she would commit to, but this time the look wouldn't go away. Suddenly I felt horrible for bringing it up.

"_gomen_… it must be p-painf-ful to t-talk about…" I tried to wrap an arm around her, to try to comfort her in some way… anything to make that look go away. '_It's my fault for bringing it up, I have to do something!_'

"Well, I think that's enough for one afternoon." She got up, with her happy-go-lucky Ino-mask already firmly in place, bowed respectfully and left. I don't think I'd ever seen someone leave so fast in my life.

"_gomen_… _gomen_… _gomen_…" I repeated over and over again, trying to will away the tears that were marring what little make-up I usually wore.

'_No good will come of me, ne Otou-sama._'

* * *

"Focus." I honestly don't know why I bother sometimes. "Focus." No matter how many times I say it, it will never get better. "FOCUS!" Not so loud! _Otou-sama_ and the others will get mad if my training disturbs them.

"How can I ever expect to get better, if I cannot focus?" How long have I been trying to make that stupid little light shine? Hours? Days? ...weeks? I don't know.

My muscles are heavy with fatigue. My fingers and palms are decorated with _chakra_ burns. '_I'll need to make another salve soon..._'

Slowly I took in the scene around me. The dojo, reserved only for the main family to practice, was a mess. The practice dummy I've been hitting for hours is starting to splinter – luckily I've been aiming away from those spots, or it would've been more work to clean the blood off it.

'_That look._' Naruto-kun had that look that day too. That look. It was completely different from the look _Otou-sama_ reserved for a failure like me. Completely different from the look the other Hyuugas had for the disgrace I am, in stead of the heiress I should be.

But through all of that... there was that warmth. '_Our mother's were sisters. Twins even!_' I didn't question it, I didn't doubt it... I simply didn't want to. I wanted it to be real, to be true.

It was a bit weird that a female was... exchanged... '_Kami-sama, that sounds so cold... but I can't think of any other way to explain it._' It is almost as if there is an agreement to mix the Hyuuga and Senju bloodlines... Is that where Tatsuko got her Doujutsu from? '_I still haven't even asked about that..._'

Over and over, I sensed a pattern... a clue, a... I don't know... something.

The queasy feeling in my gut didn't comfort me in the least though...

* * *

The moment I set foot in Iruka-sensei's classroom, Tatsuko energetically greeted me and waved me over. She was all smiles – not even a hint of the look that haunted me all night.

I glanced around the room, trying to see who was already here and how everyone's day was shaping up. Closet to the door were Sakura and Ino – as always. They seemed to be arguing about something again – probably Sasuke. There was an undercurrent of something in the way they spoke to each other – like they were expecting more than they were getting, but both refusing to admit what they wanted. The resulting frustration of not getting... whatever they were looking for... is them always fighting – about everything. They were clearly having an argument – apparently about who had the nicer hair? And the shinier hair... and the longer... and the...

'_It's no wonder why guys don't understand girls, I can't make heads or tails with those two._'

Behind them sat the ever stoic Shino – much to their often spoken of annoyance – and behind him sat Shikamaru – '_Taking a nap as usual, that boy is the exact opposite of Naruto-kun._' – and Chouji, who seemed to be following his friend's lead...

I had the weirdest thought of Sakura and Ino hooking up with Shikamaru and Chouji... I looked away quickly and stiffled a giggle as I thought about a seventy year old Shikamaru grumbling '_mendokusei_' while Sakura was shouting at the top of her lungs.

The to the front of the class, nearest the window, sat Yuuna. She too was difficult to figure out - at first glance at least. Sometimes she spoke fluent 'ditzy', sometimes she spoke fluent 'geek-speak', but mostly she was just quiet. '_She seems to be working on yet another drawing, this one was six stick figures - about 7 heads high - fighting... I guess that's kinda cute._'

Behind her was Hikaru, ever her shadow. He was simply bored - nothing more. He had his arms folded on his desk, with his chin resting on the soft side of his elbow. His eyes seemed to dance along with Yuuna's pencil as she drew though - and if you looked closely enough, you could almost see his admiration of her... technique. '_I guess I'll sneak a peak when she's done with her work then. If Hikaru-kun is this entranced, then something has to be good about it._'

To Hikaru's right sat Kiba-_kun_. He was laying back in his chair taking a nap, with a clearly snoring Akamaru stuffed in his shirt. '_Kawaii!_'

Tatsuko sat in front of him, smiling at me, waving with the same friendly smile she wore two seconds ago when I walked in. I waved back - shyly I guess, but she didn't seem to mind. She was wearing the shade she seemed to have a thing for. It's like they never left her face much any more. ' I guess I've gotten so used to it that I didn't even notice it at all yesterday... weird.' She was clearly in a calm and happy place, unlike...

'Na-Na... Naruto-kun...' I instinctively took in a sharp breath, which seemed to grab his attention. At first he had a bored look on his face - somewhere between taking a nap and wanting to shout alloud about his becomming Hokage. Then, as his eyes landed on me... Something changed... something... 'That warmth... it's like the coldness in his eyes is melting... Is it getting hot in here?'

I quickly sat down next to Tatsuko-chan, right in front of... him. I could feel his eyes lingering on me.

"Mornin'..." His voice seemed to make me tingle. I knew for a fact that my whole face was a red as a tomato, so I mumbled a good morning back to him, while hiding my face from everyone.

"She's not much of a morning person either, Otouto-kun." Tatsuko whispered to set him at ease. But somehow I think her plan backfired in my face.

I heard the fabric of his clothes ruffling a bit, and his chair creeked to show his weight was shifting in some fashion. Then I felt it... There was a warmth on my neck and the right side of my face as he whispered something to me... With each passing second I could feel the room's temperatue skyrocket higher than the second that proceeded it... I could hear every nuance of his private message, but somehow my mind couldn't capture it. I was far too engrossed in... everything else.

Something about mornings and bad ramen?

I didn't notice Sasuke was brooding in the corner behind Hikaru until a half hour later.

* * *

Time came for P.E. One of my favorite classes, mostly because of the possibilities presented - it was one of the few times that we were allowed to have fun during school hours. It was also one of the few times I was allowed to be just another student.

Usually in class, I was expected to be the perfect student - worthy of the Hyuuga name. During gym though, rank and heritage meant nothing. No, less than nothing. Everyone had to do as they were told, everyone had to do the same stretches, laps, acrobatics and learn the same taijutsu stances and moves.

I loved every minute of it.

"All right everyone, time for some stretches." Iruka-_sensei_ announced. We were in the indoor gymnasium, mostly to keep the younger students from trying the things we were supposed to be learning. _Sensei_ let his legs spread wide into a sideways-split, which earned him some weird, almost pain filled, noises from the boys.

"The point of these stretches are to loosen up the muscles in the inner and outer thighs, which makes the kicks we are going to be practicing a little later much easier. Now for those of you who cannot immediately do this first stretch, there is an easier way which I will explain shortly." He smiled at all of us. "But first I would like you to try with my help."

Gym used to be given through the combined efforts of Iruka-_sensei_, Tsubaki-_sensei_ and Mizuki-_sensei_. Then, about six months ago, Mizuki-_sensei_ disappeared. I noticed about the same time that the _Bakemono-juusou_ had taken Naruto-_kun_ under its wing.

Ever since Naruto has been inseparable from them.

I even remember a few times that I was... training... my stealth and tracking skills...

/ "All right, who took my ninjato?" Hikaru seemed a little upset, which probably meant someone was going to get hurt.

"Relax otouto-kun, I had Yuuna bring it for you to practice. I figured you wouldn't have the time to get it yourself, since you were keeping watch." Tatsuko placated.

"...fine." He groused – obviously still not happy, but not in a position to argue.

"So anyway, what are we supposed to be doing here?" Naruto-kun asked, though I can't be sure if it was to change the subject entirely or if he was just bored of standing around.

"Training, of course." Hikaru answered, allowing himself a little smile.

"Ossu! Let's get to it then!"

"Of course! Once Hinata makes up her mind if she's joining us or stalking us..." /

I remember panicking after that, though for some reason I can't remember how I reacted exactly. Eventually I always ran, never able to really face anything.

But then, there was the times when I caught them mid practice, or more recently when I would stay in my room keeping an eye on Na-Na-Na... him.

There is something infectious about him – a willingness to succeed regardless of the odds stacked against him. Complete confidence in himself. I craved that.

/ "Stop fighting it, you arrogant bitch!" One of the bullies shouted as I tried to break away once again. I had accidentally run right into one of them in the middle of town as I was dashing through the streets – too upset with Otou-sama's harsh words after having lost to Hanabi-imouto-chan.

'If they want to beat me up, fine. But why are they taking me so far away from town?'

Farther and farther we walked, and eventually I stopped fighting – they were at least twelve, four years older than me, and there were three of them! What else could I do?

Eventually they got to a spot they liked, and the one that was dragging me raised his free hand – it looked like he preferred a backhand slap just like Otou-sama after his first bottle of sake.

I braced myself, scrunching my eyes shut as tightly as I could.

When I heard a loud thud, I expected a familiar explosion of pain, but it never came. I slowly opened one eye to spy what was going on – briefly wondering why there was a cry of pain that was not coming from me

The first thing I noticed was a good sized rock being pelted at the boys, and there was already signs of a broken nose on one of them. "I'm going kill that worthless..." /

"Hinata-chan, you're up next." Iruka-sensei announced, gently tugging me back to the real world. I performed the split without much trouble, most of the girls did. Sakura-chan being the only exception, much to her frustration.

Obviously I was the last to perform the stretch, seeing that we were divided into two groups after that. That's when the world came crashing down on me... Naruto was being placed in my group...

We were supposed to go over to one side and stretch, while Iruka-sensei helped the others. It was much harder on him now that he had to give this class by himself, but that meant that I was left with no defenses...

I couldn't try to ignore him like I was paying attention in class – seeing that were weren't there. I couldn't run away, because school was far from over. I couldn't hide behind anyone or anything – the gym was basically one big, obstacle-free jungle that was threatening to swallow me whole.

'Calm down... Breathe...' Suddenly I remembered what Tatsuko-chan had taught me the other day to help calm down. I took in a deep breath, and let it out before my chest exploded. I tried to remember the rhythm she set, but all I could remember was those eyes.

Those eyes.

Those... beautiful... eyes...

I could get lost in those eyes, and I tend to do just that when our eyes meet. I can feel my heart beating faster... I think I'm breathing faster too... There's just something about the way he looks at me. Some power just swoops in a steals the air out of my lungs... I think...

The world is fading away – like he is the only thing that matters. No, he **is** the only thing that matters. His lips are swimming through the air – hopefully whispering something to me, but I can't hear anything. Had I been paying attention, I might have noticed that the clamor of ninjas training in the background had fallen away too.

It was eerily similar to a fairy tale I used to read when I was a little girl... all the clutter fell away as Princess Mito's eyes fell upon the dashing foreign shinobi that had come to whisk her away... the only things that were left, was all that mattered in the world: him.

'I just wish I had the words to tell you...'

Just then, a brilliant thought hit me: 'Maybe Tatsuko-chan can help me...'

A warmth filled my insides at the very thought of making Naruto-kun like me. 'If there is a way to capture his heart... Tatsuko-chan would be able to help me find it... I hope...'

* * *

_**A/N: OMG, I'm not dead? Seriously? COOL!**_

_**For real though, my appologies that this is taking forever. I even released this chapter before combing and preening it to perfection (as close as my work ever gets). Has anyone noticed that Kiravu posts like 6 times faster than me?**_

_**Anyways, this chapter says all I want it to (or hint at all I want it to), which is good. There was supposed to be one more chapter for Hinata's flashback, but I think I'll leave it at this for this Arc. Now, I will leave it up to my reviewer(s) to decide if the next Arc will be posted within this same story, or posted as a separate story.**_

_**The blame for all tardiness, and spelling and grammar slaughter is all on me - there is only so much Kiravu can chew me out over :P**_

_**Bakemono juusou - Deamon Trio.**_


	21. Arc3: A new beginning

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - The Countdown**_

_**Teams are being formed, but how will this affect the freshly minted genin? And what are we counting down to? Well, regardless the action is getting kicked up a notch!**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Tatsuko's POV~**

Today is not a good day – not even close. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that there are few days that have been worse. And those who know what I've been through, know that **that** is a statement.  
If Sasuke's recent interest in me wasn't bad enough, then Sakura and Ino's current grudge against their 'competition' only made it worse. However that doesn't even scratch the surface of my current dilemma.

/ _"What do you mean I won't be on either Yuuna's or Naruto's team?" I was trying so hard to not shout at the top of my lungs, but was only partly succeeding.  
__"Tatsuhi's mission was to guard the two until they made gennin, so that other jounin could take over." His gaze was filled with sadness, obviously knowing what he was doing to me. I hated that... If you know you're hurting someone, don't do it! "They have both graduated from the academy, child."  
__"Tou-chan would never have stopped the mission there, and you know it. He would have-"  
__"He would have had the authority and sway to become their jounin sensei himeself. Both of which you do not have yet."  
__"Don't. Do not **dare** use that tactic with me, Saru-ji-chan. I was denied early admittance to the Academy to start with the two, then I refused an early Graduation to stay with them. That way there would be no raised eyebrows at my constant presence in the Academy to keep an eye on them. You know as well as I do how much I gave up to fulfil this mission! So don't you dare use that against me. I am trying hard enough to remain respectful in an upsetting situation." I tried to keep my face placid, but I'm sure he saw the slight snarl that slipped through.  
__"You are the one that requested a chance to have a childhood, were you not?" From one low blow to another. He simply knew me too well... chikushou!  
__"So you thought that-"  
__"That you would want someone you were not honour-bound to protect tooth and nail so that you might have half a chance to have something akin to Tatsuhi's bond he made over time with his team." I hate it when he does that! I could only rub the bridge of my nose gently, hoping to calm myself down a bit. Fucking logic.  
__"So who are these jounin then?" 'Who is taking my purpose away from me?'  
__"Naruto will be placed with Hatake Kakashi-" I could almost hear him thinking 'Yondaime-sama's only surviving student.' Just to rub salt on an open wound... "Kakashi-kun was willing to step down as ANBU buntaichou to take up that honour." His patient smile told me that there was more to that than the words he used. I hmphed anyway.  
__"That's a start at least." I mumbled before I could stop myself. I couldn't help it, okay! '_I've been directly in charge of guarding those two since-_' I sighed, trying to ignore the rest of that thought.  
__"Yuuna will be placed with Asuma, who is well aware of the precariousness of the situation."  
__"Robbed of a delicate mission by the two laziest jounin under your command. Priceless." I crossed my arms in front of me and looked at a very uninteresting picture over to my right, trying to hold my errant tongue as best I could.  
__Even though I was not looking at him any more, I felt his eyes soften. It was something I was only ever really able to do with him... anymore. "I chose those two, because I could guarantee both their loyalty and their discretion. More importantly, I was under the impression that you would still be helping them train anyway."_/

Not a good day at all. '_After a two year, A-class mission, with little to no sleep every night, guarding what many consider to be the bane of Konoha... they stick me on a genin team... Bastards._'

Resigning myself to my fate, I just sat and waited.

* * *

"First of all I would like to congratulate you all for passing the Academy exams." Iruka-_sensei_ began his speech – one I can honestly say I blocked out completely. Can't really remember anything other than the proud look he shot Naruto at one point or another.

The only thing I could think about was how much I had sacrificed to fulfil a mission no one wanted me to complete. Moving out of Yukikami compound and into a detestable orphanage, getting no more than four hours of sleep at a time, simply because I had to let Hikaru get the same four hours of sleep before one or both of us passed out from exhaustion. The assassination attempts that had to be thwarted, the beatings that had to be repaid in full, the ANBU operatives I had to turn in that were overstepping their bounds (about half the assassination attempts were from them). Never being able to relax, even while taking a shower...

"Team 7, under Hatake Kakashi. Uzumaki Naruto, Yukikami Hikaru and Yamanaka Ino." Everyone seemed to have something to say about **that** Molotov cocktail, but I was happy that at least Hikaru would still be close to Naruto to keep an keen eye out for the boy.  
'_At least I won't have to worry about my two little brothers..._'  
"Team 8, under Yuuhi Kurenai. Aburame Shino, Haruno Sa-"

"**WHAT!**" I don't think I've ever heard Sakura shriek like that, thank _Kami-sama_ I don't have to deal with her.

"As I was saying." Completely ignoring her, nice. "Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke." The celebration that followed, along with a few jibes directed at 'Ino-_bunta_', were completely ignored. Sorry, I was in no mood to care.  
"Team 9, under Yamashiro Aoba." I suddenly felt numb.  
'_Aoba-sensei? He made jounin?_' A smile creeped across my face before I could stop it. '_No wonder he's been so tired lately._'

"Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba and-"

The world stopped. Something welled up within me, hoping against all hope that my name would come next. But logic dictated that it would not be so. Teams were always set up according to a pattern: two guys, one girl and a _jounin_. As well, family was almost never placed on the same team, and Hinata and I were first cousins – which Saru-_ji-chan_ would know about. There was no logical reason why my name would be called.  
That didn't stop me from mentally reciting every prayer I had ever learned to any _Kami_ that would listen.

"Senju Tatsuko."

"_YATTA_!" Before I knew what I was doing, I jumped up and was doing a victory dance. Of course... that meant that EVERYONE was staring at me, but I was far too happy to even be embarrassed at that point. I even snatched Akamaru off of Kiba's head and started dancing with him too! Suddenly the world didn't seem quite so bad.  
"Tatsuko-_chan_." Iruka-_sensei_ didn't fully understand what this meant for me, but I won't blame him for that. "Tatsuko-_chan_." He tried again, a little louder this time. I was still ignoring him, waltzing with my canine dancing partner.  
"Isn't this great Akamaru-_kun_, we're on the same team!" I squealed happily, though I think Akamaru was the most entertained person in the class at that point. His eyes were twinkling a with a joy that could only be matched by my own. I may have even unknowingly cast a genjutsu on the whole class, that turned all the walls pink and had it raining rose petals. But Akamaru didn't mind – no doubt he was just as happy about it, _ne_?

"SENJU TATSUKO! SIT DOWN NOW!" Demon head _no-jutsu_... harsh.

I'm pretty sure he was not amused by my delighted squeal even after I sat down. Well, at least I can understand how Sakura felt now :-3

"Ahem, moving on. Team 10, lead by Asuma. Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji and Kitsunaga Yuuna." Seeing that Chouji and Shikamaru just smiled at each other, Iruka-_sensei_ continued uninterrupted this time.  
"You're _jounin sensei_ will be here to collect you shortly. Please do as you're told and treat him or her with nothing but respect. I wish you all the best of luck and much success with your Shinobi career."

* * *

"I'd ask if you were happy about the team assignments, but it would be pointless." Hikaru teased as he plopped next to me. I never made it back to my usual seat in front of him... or in next to Yuuna, who was in front of him... whatever.  
"_Nee-chan_ actually did a victory dance! Totally priceless!" Yuuna squealed, then tried to pet Akamaru.  
"Rrrrrrrrrr..." The pup was not impressed.  
"Sorry about that, _Imouto-chan_. Inuzuka _ninken_ don't like being touched by people. He only seems to trust me enough to pet him." Akamaru calmed down almost immediately after Yuuna withdrew her hand.  
"Umm, hello." Kiba obviously thought I missed something, or that he missed something... something was being missed, in his opinion.  
"Hey, Kiba-_kun_. Did you hear? I'm on the same team as Hinata-_chan_ and Konoha's soon to be most famous _ninken_!" I smiled ear to ear.  
"Yeah but you seem-"  
"Won't it be cool, Akamaru-_kun_? You, Hinata-_chan_ and I doing missions together. Training day after day. Chasing away all the bad guys. You know we're going to get along so well together, _ne_ Akamaru-_kun_?"  
"Arf!" He obviously agreed whole-heartedly.  
"You think she noticed that I was on the team too?" Kiba turned to Hikaru, obviously feeling left out. Karu just shrugged, _Kami-sama_ bless his heart – he knows me so well.

"Team 8, please follow me." A tall woman with shiny black hair and red eyes announced. She was wearing an odd dress, which almost looked like a long scroll with a single red line drawn down the middle of it was wrapped around her. But the light make-up - blue eye-shadow, rose lipstick, stencilled eyebrows and what appeared to be foundation masking a bruise on her neck – said clearly that she was unafraid to look pretty on duty. Sadly, most _jounin_ _kunoichi_ choose to dress like men to come over more serious, or like sluts to maximize every effect on the male libido. She chose a more modest approach, obviously taking the road less travelled.

Right behind her, just on the boarder of her personal bubble, was an even taller man with a lit cigarette in his mouth. His piercing gaze reminded me of Saru-ji-chan for some reason. "Team 10, let's go." Smoking habits aside, his appearance – trimmed beard and white loincloth aside – scream standard _chuunin_. I quickly found myself doubting this man was the capable sort, and the lazy way he spoke was not really helping much.

Then a few casual paces behind him was... "AOBA-_SENSEI_!" I unzipped my jacket a bit and tucked Akamaru in, much like Kiba usually did with the pup – when he wasn't napping on his master's head. I jumped over the desk in front of me and pranced up to the man. "When were you planning on telling us you made _jounin_?"  
"What, and miss the look on your face when you heard you were on my team?" He smiled at me. I think I learned to trust him a lot more over the last year. He was actually one of the few people that I could turn to for anything. Kind of like a big brother. "You know that I won't be going easy on you just because you're my _Imouto_-_chan_, right?"  
"Wouldn't dream of it, _sensei_." I shook my head innocently.  
"Who do we have here? Is that you Akamaru?" _Sensei_ bent down to be face to face with the pup. "My, my, you've gotten big haven't you?"  
"Arf!" Akamaru announced proudly.  
_Sensei_ offered an open palm to the pup, perfectly vertical with the base of his palm underneath. He slowly moved until Akamaru was close enough to smell his hand to get used to his scent, but made no move to pet him.  
"Arf arf!" Akamaru obviously remembered him and rubbed his head into the man's palm.  
"I hope you and I will be able to work well together." Aoba-_sensei_ said in earnest as he scratched behind the pup's ear.  
"Arf!"  
"Doesn't anyone care that I'm still here?" Kiba-_kun_ was still a bit put out by my little announcement earlier. I think I've teased him enough, _ne_?

As we were walking down the hall out of the classroom that essentially brought us all together... just as we were out of sight of all the others, and Hinata and _sensei_ walked up a bit, or I simply held Kiba back a bit... details, details.  
"I think someone misses their partner." I put Akamaru back on Kiba's head with a flourish and a last gentle scratch behind his ear, straightening Kiba's _hitai-ate_ a bit for emphasis. Then I leaned in and whispered into his ear, "And yes, I'm very happy we're on the same team, Kiba-_kun_." I took in a deep breath, enjoying the smell of his hair.  
'_Even though you're from a clan known for being rough around the edges, your hair always smells like spring flowers._' I'm not sure, but I may have brushed my lips against his cheek... judging from the blush on his face, I think I did.

* * *

"All right, introductions time. I know you and you know me, but we're gonna do it anyway." We were sitting together in a little café, with Hinata-_chan_ to my left and Kiba-_kun_ to my right – naturally holding Akamaru-_kun_ in his jacket, two paws and a head were all that was visible though. And Aoba-_sensei_ sitting directly across from us, probably studying our body language to get the most out of the information given.  
"To give you an example of what I expect to hear, I will go first. My name is Yamashiro Aoba, of the Ii clan. I am eighteen, Blood type O, a workaholic and damn proud of it. I am still a functioning member of the T & I department in my spare time, and I enjoy learning new things." He then nodded to Kiba, obviously expecting him to go next.  
"Name's Inuzuka Kiba. I'm twelve, Blood type B. Um, don't really have a side job, but I enjoy training with Akamaru. I'm mostly a _taijutsu_ and clan _jutsu_ user, and I am going to be the talk of the town with two cute girls on my team, _ne_ Akamaru?"  
"Arf!"  
I rolled my eyes at his last statement, resisting the urge to smack him. I can understand what he was trying to say, and I knew it wasn't really a come-on... but still!

Aoba-_sensei_ nodded to me next. "Senju Tatsuko, twelve, blood type A, mostly _nin_- and _genjutsu_. I am long range and support. _Suiton_ is my element of choice, and I work harder than I should." Kiba and Hinata looked at me a bit funny, obviously not knowing half of what I just said before hand.  
"I actually figured you would prefer _genjutsu_." He theorised with a smile, then nodded to Hinata to keep the roll call going.

"_A-ano_, my n-name is Hy-hyuuga Hinata. I'm t-twelve, blood t-type A. I m-mostly use _J-J-juken_." There was a long pause, probably _sensei_ waiting for her to continue.  
"A perfectionist with a stutter. We'll have to work on that. Probably self esteem issues." Jeez, this guy is good! It actually took me a few weeks to figure that out... "Anyway, tomorrow we will be meeting up in training ground 14, the one near the lake. I take it you all know where that is?" When he received only nods he continued. "Good. We will start at 6:00 AM, if any of you show up so much as a minute late there will be consequences, and no eating breakfast. After I deem you all worthy, we will grab a meal together. _Ja ne_."  
I liked his exit – not the standard leaving with leaves _genjutsu_, but more a '_I'm too quick for you to follow, so why mask it at all_'. Not flashy, but it makes a clear statement.

"Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow then. I have some errands to run. _Ja_!" With that I was gone too, I did mask my exit with a watery _genjutsu_ though. I had no doubt that Kiba would be able to follow me, and maybe Hinata too if she applied herself a bit.

* * *

'_So I'm on a team with Hinata-chan, Kiba-kun and Aoba-sensei..._' I thought morosely as I made my way to the blacksmith – the one that was only about a block away from the Hokage Tower. I was officially a _kunoichi_ now, so I was allowed to buy and wear any and all armour and weapons that were for sale. All I have to do was to make sure my _hitai-ate_ was visible when making the purchase.  
'_My hitai-ate... how do I want to even wear it?_' It was currently in the top pocket in my pants – close enough in case I needed it, but clearly not where the world could see it. I thought about a few of the more obvious options: forehead, waist, biceps, neck. All were good places, but all already taken by classmates or acquaintances.  
As I thought about my options – weighing pros against cons – I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a shop's showcase window... Staring back at me was a blonde with uncared for hair, no clear indication of her new status of Konoha _kunoichi_, no make up whatsoever, tomboyish clothes, above average looks, but far below average care to highlight that. '_I look bland..._'  
Being taken off the... No, being debriefed after successfully completing an arduous missions, was difficult to cope with. But in a way it might actually be for the better. '_Maybe it's time to start paying attention to me._'

On entering the blacksmith's, I realised two things: I needed to come up with a plan to help Yuuna and Naruto train with their new – and far too lazy – _senseis_, and I really need a new outfit, probably some new tools as well.  
"_Ohaiyou gozaimasu!_" Came the standard welcome. "Ah, Senju-_sama_, are you here to pick up your package?"  
I nodded, wordlessly making my way to the counter at the back of the store. The middle aged man walked into his back room and retrieved a few items, which he spread out on the counter for my approval. One kodachi in its scarab, two giant curved kunai and one ninjato also in its scarab. "Another job well done." I praised after inspecting each item in turn.  
"I trust this is everything you need of me?" He indirectly offered. I wondered at that for a moment, carefully taking the kodachi out of its scarab again.  
"No, I have two jobs I need done immediately. Naturally I will reimburse you for any additional inconvenience that may cause." He waved that last part of, as he always does.  
"Knowing that I have such a loyal customer has its own rewards. What do you need?"  
"A new wardrobe, and new tools to work with. That is one that is easily catered to... the other thing is..." I reached into my jacket and pulled out a leather pouch, which jingled lightly at being handled. "I need you to undo the damage that lack of care has wrought." He nodded gravely, no doubt recognizing the pouch and knowing how long he had not seen it to care for its contents.  
"I'll be in the back taking care of this – shouldn't need more... than a few hours, 'pending on the state their in." He gently picked up the pouch and took his leave, leaving me to look around.

"_Otou-san_, I'm back from... Ah, Senju-_sama_, it's good to see you again." I turned around to see the blacksmith's daughter entering the shop. She had clearly just come back from training, judging from the dirt and grime that decorated her outfit and features.  
Nodding my head in greeting, I made my way over to the clothing section. "You're timing is excellent, I just so happen to need a second opinion on the new outfit I will be needing. If you have the time?"  
"Sure, let me just... freshen up." She motioned to her state, a bit embarrassed.  
"Of course. Your father is in the back, should you be curious."  
"Thank you." With that she was off.

* * *

"I dunno, this one does seem more practical, but you said that you had a thing for the boy on your team right?" The girl was clearly fishing for more than I was offering.  
"I said nothing of the sort." I smiled teasingly. "You think the skirt looks better?"  
"Maybe, what overall look are you really going for?" She asked.  
"That is exactly what I am wondering right now. I still don't even know how I want to wear my _hitai-ate_..." I folded the standard issue pants and placed it neatly back on the top of the stack.  
"Well, that depends on what you want people to think." She explained.

'_What I want people to think...?_' I took out my forehead protector, rubbing my index finger over the insignia for Konoha idly.  
"I hate it when people underestimate me for being a girl, so I tend to dress more tomboyish. However, I always try to throw in some more feminine colours to accentuate the fact that I am both strong **and** a girl." She was right about the way she dressed. Her loose navy blue pants allowed for full motion, and gave her the air of a tomboy... but the bright pink shirt stated that her femininity was not completely forgotten.

"What I want people to think..." What did I want people to think? Nothing. I looked into the full length mirror one more time and took in what I saw.  
Dark blue shinobi sandals – and my toenails need to cut – matching loose pants, with a same colour jacket that sported black overtones and more wear and tear than most girls would ever want their clothes to show. My shades were in my _kunai_ pouch, which was a habit when I was off duty. "I look like a boy, don't I..." I finally realised. My only saving grace were two lumps on my chest – which were still all too easy to hide...  
I never considered myself to be a girly-girl, ever. Everything I wore reflected that. Hell, mostly everything I did reflected that.

'_What kind of girl does Kiba-kun like?_' I blushed at the thought.

Throwing caution in the wind, I decided to look at the more non-standard section. Miniskirts were refused immediately, but there were a few more modest skirts I would be willing to consider. Then there was a few dresses that might work. '_Definitely not for missions, but they might be nice for down time._'  
"Mesh armour will be a must... but that is unavoidable..." I drawled the last past almost lazily. '_Being practical __**and**__ pretty is not going to be a walk in the park. So how about I narrow down what I need and what I don't want and see how much room I have to play with..._'  
'_Needs: tight fitting to avoid drag while running... a jacket with a hoody to hide my bright hair while sneaking around... not too many layers to avoid overheating... two kunai pouches, one on each leg – I already have one, so I just need to pick up one more... some stuff to fill the pouches with..._'  
The entire time I was making my list, I was walking around looking at everything at once. Mentally crossing out all the items that went against what I needed, and rolling my eyes at anything that fell under the '_don't want_' category.

"Okay, I think I have a basic idea." I announced halfway through the girl's latest story of her and her team mates.  
"Really? Well let's see what you've got?"  
Without missing a beat I grabbed all the items I had made the cut and dashed for the changing rooms. I carefully took out all the items I had hidden under my current jacket – which too quite a bit longer than I thought it would. '_Do I really carry __**that**__ much stuff with me?_'

After forever had come and gone, I was finally standing in just my underwear. The first thing I put on was the mesh armour – though it was labelled as 'whole body armour' it was actually little more than a pants and a shirt that could be temporarily stitched together after being donned. Still, it basically covered everything, leaving my hands and wrists, feet and ankles and my head uncovered _–_ my neck was mostly covered.  
Next came a navy blue, form fitting, three quarter pants with no pockets and a turquoise sleeveless top that left my navel exposed, but covered most of my neck. Then the jacket... That took the most time to find. After delving into the stacks of possibilities, I found this one...  
It wasn't double sided, it wasn't fireproof or so tough that no _kunai_ could puncture it. Nothing like that. It was just a bone white leather jacket with a fur hoody and loose sleeves with enough pockets on the inside to store the stuff I needed. It didn't hug my frame, nor was it as loose as my old jacket.  
Why did I like this jacket?

…

It matched Kiba's almost to a T.

After attaching my two _kunai_ pouches and restocking my pockets, I walked out of the changing room. I dunno why, but I felt different. I felt like I was doing so much more than just changing clothes... This felt like a step – a huge step. I just wish I knew where it was going.  
"So...?" I asked after stepping out into the girl's view... what was her name again?  
"You look good!" She announced happily. I twirled this way and that to give her a better view. "You might want to put on some shoes though." She joked.  
'_Chikushou... I still managed to forget something..._' I grabbed a pair of standard issue sandals and started putting them on when... "_KAWAII_!"  
On the other side of the room, a twin tanto set caught my attention. I stumbled over the the showcase gawking at them the whole way. They were cute, practical and they were easy to hide or simply let hang on my waist. Did I mention they were cute? And as an added bonus, they were on sale! I love shopping! … right? Yes, I love shopping!  
I took the set off the display and put those on too. "There's just one thing missing now..." I said, finally putting on my sandals the way they were meant to be – with... Tenten (?) offering me the missing one.  
"Mm...?"  
"A feminine touch."  
"Well, I will admit that you stuck to mostly the same colours, but you are showing off your curves more."  
"Huh?" She just laughed at my confusion, tugging me towards the mirror in the changing room. She was right, once again. The jacket, even when zipped up, didn't hide my... chest as well as my old one did. And the pants sacrificed pocket space for a comfortable fit and no crevice left unhugged. If I hadn't put on the mesh armour, I'm positive I'd be able to see every line in my underwear – now it was just hinted at.  
I turned around to... check how much was really showing...  
"There's no way he wouldn't notice you now." She winked at me. I decided then and there to wear the tantos differently. I had them in my sleeves before, hidden and ready to strike at all times, like tantos were meant to be.  
In stead I wore them like belts, together making an shallow cross just above my rear. "There." I said happily. "Now anyone who stares won't miss the blades that will castrate them if they misbehave." A smile and her rolling her eyes were the only response I would get out of her, but I didn't mind.

"All right, how many uniforms will you be needing? I would recommend at least three full suites, but if you go for five you get more discount." Ever the business woman, I liked her for that.  
'_Three should be enough, but I do want something special for down time... I wonder what we'll be doing during time off anyway._' "I'm already splurging on the weapons, I'll just take three."  
A nod, two stops and a hop to cash register later, we were tallying the total. I decided to don my shades again while she was busy counting the money I place on the counter, and I activated my _doujutsu_. '_Just finishing up with my package. Perfect, then I can meet up with Yuuna for a quick dinner before heading to the sentou for the night._'

* * *

Yuuna, Naruto, Hikaru and I were on our way to Ichiraku's. Since we all graduated, we agreed tonight was a good night to celebrate a little, and I made sure everyone had their weapons set up exactly right. Hikaru had his kodachi hilt sticking out over his right shoulder. Naruto had his new ninjato stuffed in his jacket – yes, the orange one... surprisingly Yuuna didn't drag him into the shopping district yet to straighten **that** out – with only the hilt sticking out like an outgrowth from his spine. Yuuna wore her giant kunai like a big 'X', with the handles sticking out over her shoulders. My _tantos_ were the least obvious, I think, but I wonder why no one said anything about them yet. Sure we could legally wear them now, but I expected more resistance in wearing them for no reason.  
I looked at everyone we passed, waiting for the inevitable exchange of words about demons being armed, or some such idiocy... but it never came.

"You went shopping without me! Totally not cool!" I guess Yuuna's constant squealing and shouting were throwing people off, or maybe people were less willing to pelt careless words a four fully armed shinobi.  
"It wasn't shopping. I was picking up everyone's stuff and I had some time to kill while Ryuusei-_san_ was finishing up." I defended, folding my shades and finally putting them back into my kunai pouch, obviously they wouldn't be needed tonight.  
"Well, either way, you know she won't drop it until you take her shopping." Karu reminded me.  
"Take her shopping? With Naruto needing a new wardrobe, you think she'll worry about me?" The look on Naruto's face was priceless, but the look on Yuuna's face as she realised I was right was even better!

"Hey, old man, we're back!" Naruto announced happily as we entered the stand, obviously trying to change the subject before possibly being dragged into the nearest clothing store.  
"Ah, my best customer returns! Welcome, welcome." Even though his restaurant only had six stools, and three patrons already present, no one seemed to mind leaving when we arrived. "Say, Naruto-kun, you like much tougher with that _hitai-ate_ on your forehead, don't you think, Ayame?"  
"Oh, wow. Congratulations on graduating, all of you." Ayame smiled brightly, bringing Yuuna and my tea without being prompted to.  
"Ayame-_nee-chan_, you spoil us." Yuuna teased happily.  
"Is it my fault that I knew you all so well, Yuuna-_chan_?"

"Everyone, tonight is on me, so please order anything you like." I laughed as the others smiled a bit too broadly. "What? Is something on my face?"  
"Someone's happy about being on her new team." Karu teased, earning him a swat on his shoulder.  
"Hmph." Even while feigning irritation, I still couldn't help but smile a little.

* * *

_**A/N: Well, there you have it, the latest installation of Hi no Ishi. This is a bit of a refreshing way to begin this Arc, knowing that it will all go downhill from here. You'll see what I mean in time, don't worry.**_

_**Chapter 22 is already 75% done, so expect that a lot quicker than this chapter and the previous one came out. And this really is the beginning of the action, so if you are wondering if the drama will keep coming - yes, but in less concentrated doses.**_

_Buntaichou_ - Team/Squad captain.  
Ino-_bunta_ - Ino-pig  
_Yatta_! - All right!  
_Hitai-ate_ - Forehead protector  
_Ja ne_ - See you later.  
_Ja_ - See ya!

* * *

"Ano... G-ganbatte ne, N-n-n-naruto-kun."


	22. Arc3: A crack in the ice

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - The Countdown**_

_**Teams are being formed, but how will this affect the freshly minted genin? And what are we counting down to? Well, regardless the action is getting kicked up a notch!**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~? POV~**

It feels strange to be here. The _onsen_, an open aired public bath where you dress down to your birthday suit to 'bond' with other people. Truth be told, the history of an _onsen_ is riddled with having nothing to hide, therefore it makes it easier to bond – no secrets, no problem, right?

A shame the history didn't include trained assassins and hired blades to its initial planning. Well, you can't please everyone.  
It was especially a shame seeing that ninja mixed in with civilians in these settings, so once the boarders of clothing had been shed there was no telling who was who. This place is in fact the ideal hiding grounds of Konoha's best and brightest, because you simply couldn't tell who was who without knowing their face.  
Though even then there was no real guarantee. Seeing that most people wore different expressions here, the ultimate mask if you used it well enough. And it was in this very setting that one of my new teammates wanted to bond with me.

'_A new team, huh? I wonder how Rin-chan would feel about this?_' As soon as the thought hit me, I could feel my stomach revolt almost violently. An iron will is all that kept my meal where it belonged.  
Flashback after flashback, memory after memory, a lifetime of pain and loneliness assaulted at all at once. The ones that stung most were of my last real team. Their ANBU masks seem to haunt me whenever I closed my eyes, but it was better than never seeing them again.  
Slowly I lowered myself into the hot water, having successfully scrubbed most of the bad memories away and rinsed it off with the soap – nary a word had yet passed my lips. The _onsen_ was usually a peaceful place to be, heedless of the amount of people usually present at this time of day. No, they actually served to veil me with a blanket of anonymity – strange considering how well known I'd become in recent years, and yet there it was.

The scalding water felt good, better than thinking at least. Slowly sinking deeper, I let the water claim me... calm me. Water was always this soothing. Always. Somehow the more I thought about the way the liquid hugged and kissed every inch of me, the less I cared about anything else – I was in my element here, and no one could take that away from me.  
Even with my ears filled, drowning out most of the sounds around me, I could make out just enough to know that no one really noticed me there. That was good. No hate, no pity... nothing. Just white noise.

After coming up for air, I wiped the water from my face and looked around. My sole companion's face held a neutral expression, but I saw a million questions playing across those eyes. My current attitude contrasted too greatly with the carefree nature I'd been known for – it was far darker than it had been a mere hour ago, anyone could tell that much.  
Attempt after failed attempt of strumming up a menial conversation were starting to grate on both of us. Still, I appreciated the gesture that someone cared enough to worry. I just wasn't much of a talker when I was like this – too many memories to keep me company.  
"...do y-you think... w-will happen..." Between the water dripping out of my ear and the matinee of flashbacks I had to stave off, focusing on any one thing was a task. Sadly, even paying attention to good company fell into that category. Eventually they all gave up, but this one held out longer than anyone else would have. I think I apologized, but that fell on deaf ears as I found myself alone... another one had left without word – for the best, I guess. The last thing I needed was another teammate to get close to just so that they could die on me... or worse, be used against me.

'_She reminds me of you, Rin-chan._' The tear that escaped was quickly washed away in during my next dip into the welcoming abyss. '_I guess the best I can do to repent is take care of her... ne?_'

* * *

**~Narrator's POV~**

'_My team will be here any minute._' Aoba thought, not bothering to blotch out the pride in the thought. He knew without a doubt that they would pass the test he had thought up, it was after all similar to the test his _sensei_ had put him through, but different. '_To think I have sensei's daughter on my team, I'll have to think of a way to thank the old man for this privilege._'

Hinata was the first to show up, with her _yojinbo_ bowing to her new _sensei_ reverently before disappearing. She was nervous, if the slight twitch in her eyebrow was any indication, or the two digits pressing together, or the shy body language, or the... Okay, she was nervous. Period.  
"_O-ohaiyou_." She sat down on the grass didn't utter another word.

Soon after Kiba showed up, still yawning in protest to the early hour. Even Akamaru seemed half asleep. '_I'll have to work on his work ethic._' The _jounin_ thought, smirking.

Eventually – as in two minutes after the appointed time – the Senju princess decided to grace the gathering with her presence. "Are you sure you don't want to be on Kakashi-_san_'s team? Because I do not and will not tolerate tardiness." Came the one and only warning anyone on Team 9 would ever receive.

She mumbled and stood casually, obviously waiting for something. Aoba stared at the young blond for a long moment, almost as if seeing her for the first time; in truth, he kinda was. She held herself completely different than any other time he'd seen her, her clothes were slightly different too – it hugged her frame a little more, and two _tanto_ hilts seemed to be jutting out of her hips. The shades he made for her were firmly in place and her hitai-ate was being worn like a mask, covering everything from the nose downward, with what looked like a scarf wrapped around and covering every inch of hair he had never seen. The only thing he can honestly say he recognized was her chakra signature – and even that was just barely, seeing that it was fluctuating wildly.  
The girl seemed to be anxious, almost fearful of something. It simply made no sense.  
"Well, let's get started then." Aoba held out two bells for all to see. "This test is all about getting the bells. You each need a bell to pass, but there is a catch..." There was a sickly sweet smile on his face. "You need to fight me to get it."  
"Hold up, there are only two bells!" Kiba shouted, but Aoba only smirk wider – it was now bordering a manic smile.  
"Oh?" All shocked innocence. "I must have forgotten the other one at home." Somehow no one believed him, which was becoming a pattern. "Well, I guess we'll just have to make due with what we have."  
"What the hell! How-" Kiba's rant was cut short by the – presumably – blond that decided to unsheathe her twin tantos.  
"The point is more than just a physical test." She cooed. "It's an all in one test. With this he can gauge our personalities and our teamwork during battle, figure out our strategies and test us one on one." Aoba's smirk-turned-smile only got wider... and more disturbing. He was obviously enjoying this for all it was worth.  
"Can't get much passed you." It was hard to tell if that was praise or sarcasm in his tone, but it wouldn't matter either way. "You have until noon to get the bells..."

"Go." Three genin disappeared with little effort.

'_Tradition is stronger than logic sometimes._' Tatsuko thought to herself. She already had a strategy to pass this latest test – knowing all the while this was more of a formality than anything else. Aoba was testing them, yes... but it was more to get a handle on their skills than to test their ability to be genin.  
'_He probably already thinks of us as **his** team._' Though her face soured slightly, there was still a glimmer of hope to it. '_If there was ever a team I wanted to be a part of, this is it. We just need to work together now._'  
She reached into her right thigh-pouch and pulled out a plastic tube and twisted off the top with a slight pop. '_Well, the die is cast... only one way left to go._'

* * *

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Kiba and Akamaru -who could pass for Kiba's twin, complimentary of the _juujin bunshin no jutsu_- were trying their luck in head on combat. It was hard to tell which was which, being half of the intimidation factor with this particular _jutsu_. But more importantly it was the symbol of the ultimate teamwork.  
Without any signals whatsoever, both Kibas knew what to do, and both did it flawlessly. Kiba-1 launched a sweep – which Aoba answered by simply raising his right knee, letting the strike pass harmlessly under the sole of his sandal. Kiba-2 however, used Kiba-1's attack as an opening and dashed through the once occupied space with a _Tsuuga_.  
Not wanting to breathe through a whole in his chest, Aoba bent over backwards and balanced his weight on his right hand. Kiba-1 spund around for another -and slightly higher- sweep. Kiba-2 in the mean time, stopped the Tsuuga's spinning and landed on all fours, charging for another attack. Yes, he noticed that Aoba was staring right at him, but he followed through anyway.

At the last second, the _jounin_ pushed himself up into a handstand, rendering the second sweep useless, and used the momentum to drive his left leg down onto Kiba-2's skull. Not hard enough to kill, but it left a nice Kiba sized crater in the ground. Which, after a puff of smoke, was occupied by a now sleeping Akamaru.  
"You know," Aoba began – smirking and now standing at his full height and facing the original Kiba once again. "as good as you think you are, you're not getting any closer to getting a bell."  
"Who ever said I was trying to get a bell?" Even while hiding from view, Tatsuko could still see that toothy smile. She had to focus extra hard to ignore the butterflies in her stomach while maintaining her _jutsu_.

Then, Hinata jumped into action. A volley of kunai flew in a wide arc towards the unsuspecting jounin. "Oh, then what were you tryi-"  
Before he could even finish the word, let alone the sentence, he was sandwiched between two layers of three _kunai_ and an odd shuriken thrown in for extra spice.  
Tatsuko mentally counted down, knowing without a doubt that the tell-tale signs of a _kawarimi_ would show up any second – that would be her cue.

"_SENSEI_!" Hinata screamed, tears already streaming down her face. She started running toward Aoba, hoping to help him in whatever way she could.  
'_She's gentle-spirited. That is not likely welcomed in her clan – probably the reason she is so shy._' Aoba thought, smirking as the bunshin he left to take the hit burst into smoke. He already found the perfect position in the team for her... His smile only widened further with that.

So far Aoba had been impressed. Sure, not much had happened yet, but he was happy with what he had seen. Kiba was at least as good as he had expected. A bit cryptic, which he had not anticipated, but that could be explained after some more observation.  
Hinata was at least competent with throwing kunai and shuriken, which surprised him somewhat. Usually Hyuuga _shinobi_ were good at their family _taijutsu_, but little else. They over specialized their members at too young an age, leaving them wide open to a lot of trouble in the long run.

The trouble was the last member of the team. Senju Tatsuko. What the hell was she waiting on? He could easily keep track of her, seeing that she hadn't moved during the exchange with Kiba and Hinata. She seemed to enjoy standing behind a tree – out of everyone's direct line of sight, but still close enough that she could track everyone's movements. Hell, he could even sense her heart skip a beat when Kiba smirked – clearly someone had a crush, and a **huge** one at that.  
Yet she never moved – fiddling with something in her right leg-pouch didn't really count. '_Now that I think about it, why does she have two leg-pouches? Hmm...Well, only one way to find out._' It was time to go dragon hunting.

* * *

'_What is he thinking? Trying to take out the strategist early?_' Tatsuko laughed at her own thoughts. '_Nope, he couldn't possibly have figured out that I can communicate with the others. He is trying to figure out why I haven't moved._' That sucked almost as much as him trying to take her out. Not because she couldn't send any messages to the others, she still could do pretty much anything. No, it meant he was going to push her until he figured out her limit. That sucked.  
With little warning, Tatsuko was under attack. Apparently Aoba thought it was smart to flick a _kunai_ an inch above her head – apparently his way of saying 'heads up'.  
Like the eternal sensei he was to her, he would start gauging her skills from scratch to avoid an inaccurate assessment. That meant a lot, because she knew he would wouldn't miss anything that way... and she wasn't sure how much to show.  
'_I planned to take him out with just Kiba and Hinata... I didn't think he would have gotten away from my trap before I sprung it. I guess he has improved since our last scuffle._' She couldn't really call what they did sparring – he never took it serious enough for that. But then again, she was supposed to be under cover, so she didn't blame him for that.  
'_Well, if I'm going to be stuck with this team, I might as well have some fun then, ne?_'

"_Taijutsu_, the primary skill any shinobi needs." Aoba announced, clearly telling her what he expected to test her in.  
"Wrong, _sensei_... the primary skill for every shinobi is deception." She smiled, then put the small bottle back in her leg pouch. She wasn't going to need those just yet.  
"There's that too." He laughed, then launched a kick at the left side of her rib cage. She wasn't within striking range, so he had to jump towards her a bit – which meant he softened his kick even further to cause no harm. Well, not 'no harm'... more like, not much.  
Almost as if in slow motion Aoba's foot crept towards the young blond. '_What will you do, imouto-chan? Will you finally open up? Will you trust me?_'

Then it happened. With a soft thud, the kick landed – no it didn't land, it was blocked. Almost immediately Aoba was analysing her block. It was a dual arm block – left forearm bend down like an upside down 'L' to absorb the actual blow, right palm opened and just behind the actual block to launch the counterattack. 'That's not academy style taijutsu. Hell, I can't even say I've seen that style of a block.'  
"Satisfied, sensei?" Aoba found himself at a loss. She knew what he was doing? Well, if that was the case, he would take it as far as she could. Immediately he retracted his leg and re-chambered his kick, this time at her head.  
The same styled block awaited him. "From D-class speed, to C-class speed. You're planning isn't your weakness." This time, before he could react, her counterattack was sprung. Her right hand grabbed his leg by the shin, then she used her left forearm to help spin him three times and launched him in the direction of the lake.  
'_What the...!_'

Not just in the direction of the lake, but the whole seventy-six metres to its shore and then still an additional twenty metres to a spot where he could splash down without harm.  
Of course he landed on his feet, and with a little chakra support giving him a relatively dry landing on the wet surface. Still, Aoba figured that she calculated that trajectory down to the centimetre, seeing that he wasn't dragged back much farther from extra inertia.  
"Someone's been holding out on me." Yamashiro Aoba was not surprised often. He spent most of his life studying everything around him to know what to expect at any given time. He smiled; this was the first time he can honestly say that he was pleasantly surprised.  
The _jounin_ focused to stretch his vision out farther, so that he could keep an eye on the _kunoichi_ he was fighting. She was walking towards him, and she was clearly planning something.  
She had unsheathed both of her _tantos_, holding them inverted – though she held the grips properly, the points were held near her elbows – with the back held less than an inch from her skin. Her fists were held at chest level, obviously ready for any surprise attack Aoba could concoct. '_She was trained to be an __**real**__ kunoichi, not just a soldier of Konoha._'  
Just as the kunoichi – Aoba quickly found he couldn't think of her as a _genin_ for obvious reason – made it to the shore, he found himself wondering how things would proceed. Part of him hoped she would dash onto the water surface and show him what she was made of... the other part was trying to to get his hopes up. Just to be safe though, he put together a plan for both possibilities.  
"Excellent chakra control, but can you use that for more than just enhancing your muscles?" With his _Kokorogan_ he couldn't directly see chakra, but there were much more interesting things to see.

Things like intention.

Well, that is a bit vague. It's more like he can see what his target sees. With that comes a plethora of possibilities when tied together with _genjutsu_ and a vivid imagination. Basically, if he times it right, the wielder of the _kokorogan_ can hijack another person's vision and twist it any way that wielder wants to.  
Anyway, the point being, Aoba knew she was not daunted by a stronger opponent. In fact, if he guessed right, she enjoyed reminding stronger opponents why they should never become boastful or prideful. '_A kunai through the heart will kill both a kage and a complete idiot._' That motto was impressed onto the stylishly bespectacled jounin quite early in his career, with a _kunai_ blade pressed against his throat no less.

Slowly, almost as if teasing her opponent, Tatskuko placed one foot on the water surface. Aoba decided to play it safe and took out two _kunai_ of his own and assumed a casually masked defensive stance. What he saw from her was something he was not used to seeing from his opponents: steadfast confidence. This wasn't the arrogance he was used to, the cocky assurance that one usually would have. There was no absolute with her vision. There was planning.  
Her eyes were darting back and forth at an alarming rate, taking in every possibility even while studying every nuance in her _sensei_. What was more interesting was her actual field of view. Yes, she could 'see' behind her, but that was only through making a map with the sounds around her – and therefore fallible. But with her eyes she seemed to see in a near 180 degree arc from left to right and a near 140 degree up to down, with the majority of the blocked vision above dead centre. So she was technically more likely to get hit from an attack from above than bellow.

Then she stopped. Everything stopped. She had analysed everything, he guessed. Slowly, a smirk peaked out from behind the clouds, and even slower, it blossomed into a smile. She finally had her plan in place.  
'_She likes taking it slow, figure everything out before acting on it._' Just as he was about to taunt her a bit, she took another step forward – letting both of her sandal soles sink below the water surface.

Then it hit him. Hard. Almost like a physical blow.

Information.

Aoba had felt, seen... sensed a lot of things before through his _doujutsu_. He had crawled into the sensory receptors of hundreds, if not thousands of _shinobi_ before. Never once had he seen his own skills broken down into neatly ordered statistics.  
He didn't see it in the sense where you could read it off a page. No, it was more like short bursts of memories – **his** memories. She was playing his memories like old home videos.  
What was worse, was that these were not just any random memories the could embarrass him, or the ones that most parents talk about when you bring a girl home the first time... These were the references he was most likely to use in a fight! She was scouring his memory banks for an edge to use against him before taking the fight to him!  
'_What the-_'  
"Fuck is she doing?" She finished for him. "I thought you knew me well enough to know I go an eye for an eye."  
"What are-"  
"I mean you hijacked my senses to see what I see, feel what I feel. You are trying to gauge my planning, my sensory intake to see what it says about my skills and my battle tactics before exchanging blows to see how well I can translate that into action. I am merely returning the favour in my own way."  
'_Hmm interesting._'  
"Interesting indeed. Most get antsy when they figure that out, but you are – as you have so often claimed – different."  
He smiled at her. "I thought you-"  
"You never know someone."  
'_That's kinda unnerving. Why not let me finish a sentence?_'  
"Not all battles are won with a fist or an S-class jutsu. Some are won simply by making one's opponent doubt themselves." Aoba's smile widened further. "I agree, you've seen enough. Now it's time to experience."

She dashed forward as if the water was just another solid surface, showing that she had mastered water walking years earlier. Sure her speed was laughable compared to her other skills, but that could easily be another trick. '_She likes to make you doubt yourself, but more importantly she likes to make you doubt her. She uses her age, her slight frame, her skills... 'Everything is a weapon if used correctly.'_'  
With more than enough time to get ready, Aoba saw the punch being thrown at him. It wasn't hard to figure out that it was bait to sink her _tanto_ into him if he messed up, so he avoided the strike altogether. He ducked and eased to her left to test her flank defences.  
The younger of the pair answered him with a kick aimed at his knee, which he stepped out of range from. Then another punch-kick combo followed.  
She was constantly dashing into range, launching an attack and leaving no opening for a counter-attack. She also made sure she always kept a route open to escape.

'_Time to switch things up._' The kunai in his left hand was thrown – perfectly aimed to split her face open. She batted it away like it was a bug, but they both knew there was a nastier trick involved.  
The kunai dropped below the water surface, where most would stop considering it a threat, but six kunai popped up like dragonflies – all with the tips pointing it straight at their target.  
"So you've taken _Nanami-sama_'s training to heart." Her words were light, but the _kunai_ almost dropped out the sky when she said them.  
'_You knew?_'  
"You've just shown me, haven't you?"  
'_This jutsu?_'  
"Yes. But you only use a base technique. Would you like to see what it can really do?" It would have completely thrown anyone else off their game to have what seemed like half a conversation. But what really would have messed them up, was when Tatsuko re-sheathed her tantos and reached into both legpouches.

"_Tessen_." The word escaped his lips before he noticed it. '_Nanami-sensei's favoured weapon. I never would have guessed you learned to wield them._'  
"You want to know how well I can defend myself?"

Kiba and Hinata just made it to the lakeshore, wondering how the hell Aoba-_sensei_ **and** Tatsuko were standing on the water surface. They were now too far away to actually hear what was being said, but it wasn't like they would have made sense of it anyhow.  
"What the... hell?" Kiba wondered. "She uses batons? What's up with the _tantos_ then?" Hinata was just as lost, letting the silence answer for her.

The six kunai that were hovering around their teammate decided to fly at her – all at the same time! Normally people would throw kunai in quick succession, so if you deflected them in the same order they were thrown you wouldn't get hit. Standard procedure was keeping an eye on what was thrown first. But when multiple projectiles were going to hit you are the same time, you had to figure out a way to block them all at once – not an easy feat.  
To complicate matters more, the _kunai_ were precisely spaced out in a perfect circle around her. It would take a miracle to get out of that unharmed, at least that was what both genin were thinking.

A fraction of a second before the _kunai_ should have landed Tatsuko launched both hands straight out to her sides and bent over forward to duck under the blades. Continuing with her forward momentum, she tucked her head between her ankles then shot her legs forward with the same arc, but did a mid air split – with the tips of her toes barely not touching the surface – to not get nicked by the blades above her. To finish off the unconventional dodge/somersault, she shot both batons at the blades and knocked them all back at the jounin in one clean motion. Two of the six damn dear drew blood too!

Well, to be fair, it was far enough for Aoba to feel comfortable with the distance, but Kiba and Hinata didn't know that.

Two genin were left to reel in their chins, still trying to figure out what she had done. What's more, the blond managed to land on her shins in a kneeling position; both batons forming an 'X' in front of her. Aoba just stood there, reeling the kunai back into attack formation for another go.  
Wave after wave of the same six kunai came at the girl. Every angle was tested, every blindspot tried – both above and below water. Aoba seemed to be pacing himself to get the most of the situation; no one can keep up a high velocity fight forever.  
More importantly, Tatsuko seemed much less inclined to hold back.

Once Tatsuko had gotten bored with this style of attack, she did something that Aoba hadn't planned for: she struck one kunai with both batons. Shocking, right? Well, it would be shocking to anyone after all six projectiles exploded along with the sole kunai that was struck!  
Aoba, obviously not having expected that, actually laughed.

"What the hell was that?" Kiba asked Hinata. They looked at each other for a long moment, but both shrugged and just continued watching. What else could they do? Hinata decided to activate her doujutsu, hoping to actually find some answers.

Tatsuko stopped for a moment, seemingly telling Aoba something that the others couldn't hear.  
"You still wondering if I can defend myself?" Aoba laughed again.  
'_If I thought you couldn't, I'm sure you would know._' It was actually starting to get comfortable for Aoba to not have to say what was on his mind. Strange what you can get used to, _ne_?  
"True. So, did you still want to see what **that** jutsu can do?"  
'_There's more?_' Tatsuko laughed as she flicked her fans open, holding one behind her in her left hand and one in front to fan herself with with her right.

Aoba's chin almost dropped on his sandals when he realised that they weren't standard _tessen_... they were flat blades coupled together to resemble fans. '_Twenty-seven blades spread over two tessen. That's odd._'  
"Say that after you see what they can do." It was hard to say for sure, but it looked like she was smiling ear to ear as she said that. Tatsuko flicked the front fan closed and drew it to her left shoulder then made a motion like she was going to throw it at her opponent. Only, she didn't release her weapon.  
In stead of a _chakra_ based attack – like Aoba had actually been expecting – a long, flat metal... thing... flew at its awaiting target. If he had to liken it to something, it looked most like a whip because it was so flexible... yet it was something else altogether. '_No, not a whip... it's more like a ribbon. A demon possessed ribbon, but still very ribbon like._'  
Jumping out of the way, Aoba continued studying the attack, wondering what the **hell** was going on! Luckily the attack's range wasn't all the impressive, but the sharp edges certainly were.

'_Sharp edges!_' Aoba leered a little closer at the... weapon. '_That **is** the tessen! The blades come loose and she is probably tying them together with the same technique I was using with the kunai earlier! But this is on a **whole** other level!_'  
'_Each individual blade is about nine inches long._' The analysis continued. '_With her only using the fourteen blades from one tessen she gets an maximum reach of on or about twenty-nine metres. Not all that bad, but the attacks get sluggish when ranged outside of the fifteen metre mark – just under half the range. Now if I calculate that same ratio that would mean that with using all the blades she would have on or about fifty-five metres total range with the optimum range being about twenty-seven metres._' He almost laughed at his own calculations.  
"You really like the number three huh?" Somehow he didn't mind asking out loud this time. "Everything about your attacks somehow can be calculated back to that base number, so I doubt this is all a coincidence." He had to duck under a few extra swiped for his trouble. "Three multiplied by three, multiplied by three. It's kinda cute really."  
"Oh ha ha. Yuck it up Yamashiro." She was obviously not impressed by his analysis.  
It was a shame there was no skin visible, because paling skin was always the first sign of low chakra reserves. Luckily Tatsuko knew her own body well enough to know that she was starting to wear down, but it was highly unlikely her sensei would see the signs like this.  
She was never a chakra powerhouse like Naruto, so using her _tessen_ was always a last resort – they burned through her reserves quicker than Chouji went through a bag of chips. Still, she wouldn't go down without putting everything she had into this!  
Tatsuko flipped her reserve tessen into her right hand, then with her left hand she poked into her right thigh-pouch. She quickly found the item she was searching for and popped it open with little veneration and threw its contents into the air.

"What the hell is that?" Kiba asked again. It was becoming a theme, and that was actually getting on his nerves! He had never seen anything like what he was seeing from the same girl he had been sparring with for years! Why didn't she ever do any of **that** when they fought?  
"Sewing needles." Hinata answered, before deactivating her Byakugan. She knew it was likely they would be back to square one when Tatsuko finally ran out of steam. She she was going good, but she wasn't gaining any ground with their _sensei_, and Hinata could see that she would likely pass out within a minute the way she was going.  
"Sewing needles? What is she going to-" Kiba was about to ask something stupid, it wasn't hard to tell. But seeing that Aoba was suddenly dodging and weaving like his left testicle depended on it shut the boy up.

'_What the __**fuck**__!_' Aoba had officially lost his cool. It wasn't every day that you see it raining sewing needles!  
Intellectually Aoba knew that there was a lot about _Kunaibuyo no-jutsu_ that Nanami-_sensei_ hadn't been able to teach him. It wasn't that hard to figure out really, seeing that she died when he was like thirteen years old, just over a year after becoming a _genin_. Still, seeing a twelve year old use the technique to a degree that he was certain _Hokage-sama_ would be proud of made him nervous.

Dodging a ribbon made up of loose – and razor sharp – custom kunai was one thing. But dodging that same ribbon while trying to dance around a hail storm of needles that probably had some nasty trick to them was not making his day any better.  
'_What the hell was Tatsuhi-san thinking when he trained this girl!_' Sadly though, the _jounin_ had to admit he was impressed. He didn't just **have** to dodge, he had to back off until she eased up. '_Nothing short of knocking her out would get me anywhere close to her right now._'  
Another – and profoundly more disturbing – fact was that Tatsuko had openly admitted to being a _suiton_ user, while she had yet to use a single _suiton jutsu_. That meant she was still holding back!  
He didn't even know if she could still read his thoughts at that point, but he still decided to ask the old man what the hell was going on with her! Nothing in her portfolio suggested in any way, shape or form that she had this kind of potential, let alone skill!  
'_Thank Kami-sama the lake is large enough to not risk collateral damage, but this really is getting ridiculous!_' The needle shower had a larger range of attack than the kunai ribbon, which wasn't all that unexpected. What was unexpected though, was that (just like the kunaibuyo) the needles were being reused the whole time! That meant that the _jutsu_ was limited by the amount of _chakra_ the user had available.  
'_She is definitely something else!_'

Then, it all stopped.

Seeming of their own accord, all the needles flew back into their bottle, the _tessen_ reformed and split back into two and all the weapons were neatly tucked into the pouches on her thighs.  
Aoba watched his charge for a long moment, seeing her stagger slightly as she tried to take a few steps. "Too... much... trouble..." She huffed out. "... if I... gotta... get 'em... later..."  
With one word, Yamashiro Aoba of the Ii clan summarized his thoughts: "Damn."

* * *

Aoba took his time making it back to the shore. He had half considered calling it a day, seeing that he didn't want any more unexpected twists like he had just been through. Still, this was a test of three students so there was no backing out. '_Well, the strategist is down. Now to go for the eyes._'

On the shore, and more than a little leery, two _genin_ hopefuls were waiting. Kiba tensed immediately when he noticed the _jounin_ was still in battle mode.  
"Yo, sensei, shouldn't we be takin' her ta the hospital?" He asked.  
"She's sleeping, not injurred. Besides, she won't be too pleased if the two of you messed up this opportunity to grab the bells." He reminded them. All three of them tensed at those words.  
"Rrrrrrrrrrr!" Yup, even Akamaru was pissed off at the moment.  
"Byakugan!" Surprisingly it was Hinata that jumped into action first.

Even with Tatsuko on his shoulder – he knew he couldn't put her anywhere without risking a 'rescue' – Aoba was able to deflect all of Hinata's attacks. Sure, he had to be careful to not let her close off his _tenketsu_, but that was less of a problem with her inexperience. The poor girl was clearly under-trained in her family taijutsu.  
'_A crying shame._' Was all he allowed himself to think about that. Her stamina would also need a lot of work, she was sweating up a storm trying to rescue her teammate. Luckily she knew their _sensei_ wouldn't hurt anyone, but it was still obvious the girl was one step away from freaking out.  
'_Hm, there is a story behind that. Has Tatsuko been playing mother hen to her too?_' It didn't seem logical, but it wouldn't surprise him much either. '_I guess she is giving what she wants most in her life. Well, I think I know how to handle that..._'  
How one confused and angry girl could positively affect so many seemingly unrelated peers was a marvel to see, but Hinata still fell easily because of her lack of concentration. A single pressed nerve, and she too was captured. He grabbed her, slung her over his free shoulder and shunshinned out of sight.  
To say that Kiba and Akamaru were upset by this turn of events wouldn't do their rage justice at that point.

In no time at all, Aoba made it to a clearing that was obscured by trees. He placed the two sleeping beauties next to each other and cast a _genjutsu_ to hide their location from everyone.  
'_Good, now that the strategist and the eyes are down for the count, I can deal with the body guard._' It wasn't that Aoba was making fun of Kiba, it was simply a psychological fact: guys are wired to protect girls. That is not sexist, a symptom of a superiority complex, chauvinistic... or any other crap that those feminists like to spout at the drop of a hat.  
Put any guy in a gathering of girls and set off a fire alarm and see what happens. Even without a direct threat, a guy is naturally inclined to lead the pack to safety – save room for the guy who simply pees his pants and runs away screaming. And most females are inclined to listen. Most, because a feminist would go the opposite direction the guy pointed him in, just to spite him.  
Back to the situation at hand, Aoba had one last charge to mess with! So he made his way to Kiba's last known location, already making a training schedule for the _kunoichi_ he just left behind.

"What'd you do with 'em?" Kiba in bodyguard mode was a little intimidating, but nothing worse than what the newly minted _jounin_ hadn't already been through. Even before today.  
"Well, that depends on how you want to look at it..." Aoba was purposefully leaving that vague, it served to set the boy even more on edge. Sure, he was put out at the thought that he was being accused of kidnapping – or worse – but there was no logical thought process in the sub- and unconscious, there were only facts. And the fact was that two girls were just whisked away with no clear sign of returning.

Aoba thanked his training in T & I, and Inoichi in particular who had taught him so much. It was much easier to mess with people when you knew how they could react in any given situation. Besides, it was just plain fun in most cases.

"You're gonna regret that!" Kiba attacked blindly. His anger and his desire to protect his teammates completely shut down his ability to think, to plan. Although, to the boy's credit, he was still doing fairly well. Even without using his signature _jutsu_, his _taijutsu_ was way above average for an academy student, even for the average genin.  
"Akamaru! _Juujin Bunshin no-jutsu_!" When did he release that _jutsu_ anyway? What followed was an sad attempt at an old school beat down. Kiba and the Kiba look-a-like were throwing punches and kicks as fast and as hard as they could. The only clear intention was to break something and play the hero rescuing two damsels in distress, but that was just more obvious proof that the boy wasn't thinking clearly.  
"You know, the way this is going, they could be grandmothers before you rescue them." It was an odd mix of _'I'm not going to hurt them, baka!_' and another barb to set him further on edge. But it worked rather well – to what end Aoba would never know.  
Kiba took out all the stops almost immediately, which Aoba was grateful for – he was actually kind of tired from having to avoid playing 'pin the tail on the jounin'.

"Tsuuga!" Kiba-1 decided to do the obvious, while Kiba-2 held hesitated for a second. Seeing that Aoba had both seen this tactic, and easily defeated it before, he simply knocked them both out.  
"You know, this is going to be an interesting team."

* * *

"Total elapsed time, one hour, thirty-two minutes and nine seconds. You guys made me work for it." Aoba laughed at his own words. Tatsuko, Kiba and Hinata were all hogtied and glaring at him menacingly. "Not one of you got a bell, but who can tell me why?"  
"Because you're stronger than we are, duh!" Kiba griped, even as Akamaru was nibbling on his robes to set him free.  
"True, but that was never a question. I made jounin for a reason, after all."  
"You picked us off one by one." Tatsuko said. "You picked me off first, knowing that I was the one with the plan, then you took Hinata out because she could sense you best... leaving Kiba and Akamaru seeing that you could trick their sense of smell better than the Byakugan or a _doujutsu_ you don't fully understand."  
"True, but-"  
"But you were wrong when you said we didn't get any of the bells." Aoba laughed, but he laughed hardest when Tatsuko jingled one of the bells in her hand.  
"I know, I was waiting for these two to figure that out." The disbelieving stare he got didn't affect him the least. "Now as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted..." Tatsuko was rewarded with a dull glance.  
"You pass." His words were so calm, so dull, that three pairs of eyes – one pair still hidden behind a pair of shades – blinked.  
"Aroo?" That must have been Akamaru's only way of saying 'WTF?' Though the tilting of his head and the clearly confused look in his eyes could have said it too.

"The bells were just an objective, the test was more about seeing how far you could take it and how hard you would make me work." Aoba said. Was he looking paler than usual?  
"And this gave you the perfect way of testing our strengths and weaknesses." Tatsuko intoned  
"As well as your teamwork and tactical prowess, yes."  
"You could have just asked!" Kiba was obviously no a happy camper – then again, he was bent at a painful angle and tied that way. Not the most comfortable way to spend the morning.  
"Where's the fun in that?" The grin those three genin saw, curdled their blood. It was somewhere between a mad scientist's 'It is alive' smile and cat's 'I've got you cornered, little mouse' smirk. It wasn't friendly, in any way. And it was the first of the many... many times they would see that smile...  
"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship!" That was the first time the three of them understood – truly understood – why Aoba was still active in T & I. He belonged there!

The sadist.

* * *

_**A/N: Well there you have it. Tatsuko's more out in the open. And for those of you who were not paying attention Nanami is the name of Hinata's mother, Tatsuko's aunt.**_

_**Anyway, I'm sure you are wondering why this took so long to publish, since I said it was already half done after the last chapter was sent out. Well, this is my B-day present to you! Yes, Feb 15th is my special day. Thank you, and keep reading.**_

_**Also, I will be putting up the beginnings to two other stories soon. One is from Pokemon titled A Promise Worth Keeping, the other is from Escape Velocity titled Starlight. If you like my writing and are curious how it would play out in another setting, check em out!**_

_**Kunaibuyo no jutsu - Dance of Kunai technique. Come on, admit it, you didn't need me to tell you that!**_


	23. Arc3: A taste of heaven and hell

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - The Countdown**_

_**Teams are being formed, but how will this affect the freshly minted genin? And what are we counting down to? Well, regardless the action is getting kicked up a notch!**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~? POV~**

After our first team workout, one of my team mates decided to go on a side mission. Somehow volunteering me to go with her. I was too worn out to bother figure out what was what. Still, she said it wouldn't take more than an hour and she'd treat me to a meal after. Not sure which one, or why she wants me to tag along.  
Not in the mood to care. Too tired. _Taichou_ ran us ragged, and that little nap did nothing to ease the ache in my muscles or the ridiculously low chakra reserves I had left. Still, I couldn't let her go alone, now could I? Tempting as it was, I promised Rin-_chan_ I'd take care of her.  
We made it to the spot she said we could monitor everything. I probably should recognize the place, but I'll worry with that later.  
With my reserves so low, I didn't dare do anything but watch unaided by chakra in any form – I was afraid I'd pass out again if I did.  
"Naruto! Stop horsing around! Kakashi-_sensei_ could be here any minute!" A tallish blonde announced. She kept her hair in a tight ponytail with two locks of hair flowing down the sides of her face to frame it. As well, she wore purple (?) clothes. Who the hell wears that much purple?  
"Yeah, yeah. If he wants the right to complain about what I'm doing, then he should show up on time, _'ttebayo_!" Judging from the slight twitch in my team mate, I'd say this was the mission target. What would he have to do with anything?  
"Besides, if this is a test, then we need to make sure we're ready for anything." Why is _Shirokuma_ out of uniform? If he forgot it again, I'm beating him senseless. Now I really am curious what we're doing here. I turned to ask my new team mate, but her eyes were glued to the target.  
"Well, you're work ethic is noteworthy." _Inu-tai_... no _Inu-senpai_. I'm no longer under his command, but old habits die hard. _Inu-senpai_ walked into the clearing. He was out of uniform as well. Were they going undercover or something? Well, that might make sense. The taller blonde's a Yamanaka, they usually only go for infiltration or interrogation. "Well, lets get this over with." He announced showing the two bells.  
"What're the bells for?" The Yamanaka asked. You're kidding right?  
"It's a test. You need to fight me for one of the bells." _Inu-senpai_ explained. Come on! That is a _gennin_ test! How could an ANBU not know about it? "And you have until noon." Just over an hour and a half? Well, that would be interesting. I suppose.

I fell asleep almost immediately after Inu-senpai said go.

* * *

Even while fully asleep, I was able to monitor everything around me. It's something you just learn to do after a few years of little to no sleep and keeping a constant vigil. Your subconscious learned quickly that if you lose track of anything, even while in a deep sleep, you're dead. So the motivation to adapt is there.  
After the go was given, Shirokuma, Yoko and Ugly Duckling – dunno her code name yet, but that seems to fit nicely given how wet behind the ears she still is – disappeared immediately. The two guys were clearly signing to each other, already coming up with a plan. Somehow I doubt Inu would be able to figure out how well they worked together until he faced them, but he should be okay. After all, he's one of the few _shinobi_ I would feel comfortable watching my back during a scuffle.  
Ugly Duckling was going it solo. Idiot. No one goes against _Inu_ solo and wins. Only _Hokage-sama_ would risk that. Though _Kame_ would do it in a heartbeat. More reason to avoid going head to head with _Inu_... _Kame_'s strange. Colour scheme aside, _Kame_'s... just strange. Ridiculously strong and fast though.  
Sill, if he suggests doing it, don't. And if you're really smart you might consider doing the exact opposite.

Anyway, a scuffle followed. I couldn't track every movement, but I knew it was far enough away from my locations to not involve me. _Yoko_ and _Shirukuma_ were outclassed, that much was obvious. Even with both of them doing the best they could – which is what _Inu_ wanted in the first place – they were no match. Ugly Duckling just kinda hung back, twiddling her thumbs. Either she was smart enough to use her talents from the shadows, or she was doing her nails. Jury's still out on that one.  
Words were being tossed back and forth. Words, _jutsu_ and _kunai_. I'll wait until I fully wake up to sort that out.  
And eventually, Ugly Duckling found her cue and did her _Shintenshin no-jutsu_. Passing the two bells to her team mates. Well, that was actually useful. She released it soon after and made her way over to her team.  
"Congratulations, you got the bells. Now which one of you fails?" _Inu_ asked. Is he still hung up on his self sacrificial trip? How many times have I talked to him about that?  
Well, it's not like I'm one to talk, but that never seemed to stop me.  
"Easy, they'll pass. I'll fail." _Yoko_ stated clearly.  
"But what about your dream? Becoming Hokage is impossible if you don't become a _ge_-"  
"No." Yoko stood firm. "Being Hokage is about putting everyone else first. And to me, this is a perfect step to doing just that. I'll fail."  
"No. We'll fail together then. The mission is to get both bells back, right? Ino can complete the mission and we make sure she gets that done." _Shirokuma_ announced. He's at least as bullheaded as his father.  
"Interesting. Why both fail? Won't that risk the mission?" _Inu_ asked. Here we go again. He really should just admit he likes what Anko and Ibiki do for a living.  
"No. We make sure she makes it back by keeping the only thing standing in her way busy until she can." _Shirokuma_ explained. "Besides, I know this idiot will figure out a way to drag me back somehow."  
Cue pointlessly long and overused explanation about self sacrifice, a quote from Obito, and the oddly cool 'pass'... and three little piggies went to market.

My team mate was thrilled, and came over to try to wake me up. I really need a warm meal and a hot bath.

* * *

**~Narrator's POV~**

'_I can't believe that Nee-chan came spying on us during our test. Hinata, well she's always spying on Naruto. Probably the one that dragged Nee-chan here in the first place._' Hikaru groused. He and his new team had barely just gotten passed by the world's most impossible _jounin_. Which Hikaru actually compared to training with his _Tou-san_.  
'_Anyway, who cares. We passed the world's most basic test. Now let's go eat something. And we better drag Nee-chan with us, it looks like she's been playing with her tessen again. How many times did Tou-san tell her not to used them until she was full grown?_' It was odd for the boy. Now that the swelling in his lip and face had gone down, most of his past was subsiding with it. He didn't forget any of it, but he was willing to bury it and move on. Something he was sure his N_ee-san_ would not agree with.  
'_Whatever. Let's just go._'

"Yo 'Ruto, you grab the short one, I'll grab the tall one." Hikaru nodded over at the tree where two were hiding.  
"Sounds good. Then _Nee-san_ can treat us to Ichiraku's!" Talk about a one track mind.  
"Ohh, no! I am not eating any ramen!" Ino griped.  
You could almost see Hikaru thinking, '_Right, because you had a lot to say during the test?_'  
"Ino, no one asked you." Naruto replied evenly.  
"Hey, we're a team now. So we gotta start sticking together, Naruto!" The two boys were already half way to the tree, discussing what flavours they're gonna order. "Hikaru?" Clearly grabbing at straws now.  
"Look, I'd trade you for Yuuna in a heartbeat. As far as I'm concerned you're nothing but trouble." Came the expected retort, just hard enough to reach her ears. He still didn't get the logic in the team set ups. '_Well, I ain't Hokage so it's none of my business._'  
"Kinda agree with you there, but that would unbalance the teams. You really think _Jiji_ didn't plan this out carefully?" Naruto pointed out. Well, there was logic in there... somewhere.  
"Great. I thought she was the weakest link. Now I **know** she is." He made sure she could hear that too.  
"I heard that!"  
'_Good job._' Hikaru snorted at his own thought. For the first time in a long time Hikaru just wanted to let sleeping dogs lie, but it seemed the blonde wouldn't let it go that easily. She aimed a kunai and let it fly – trying to prove her point by nicking his left cheek. '_Should have seen that coming. She's never been one to play second strings. To bad she doesn't know that she can't ever be more than that in this group._'  
He was already channelling _futon chakra_ into his _kodachi_ before it left her hand. He drew it, and sliced at the offending projectile. Only to notice that Naruto was actually one step ahead of him.  
No matter how skilled Ino thought she was, one plain kunai would never stand a chance against two blades infused with wind _chakra_.  
It fell to the ground in four perfect slices. "And the next time you get a stupid idea like that-" Hikaru clicked his _kodachi_ into its sheath. "we won't stop at destroying your kunai. TTFN." He waved in a very Yuuna-esque manner.

Ino just stood there. Her eyes never left the kunai she had just thrown – or what was left of it. She didn't know much about either of them, but she knew it took skill to do what they just did.  
'Skill' was not a word she would ever use when referring to Naruto. Sure, Hikaru was okay as far as she knew, but her grades were still better than his. '_How the..._'  
She had seen the looks in their eyes. That calculating look her father wore when he noticed someone doing something stupid. A look that make her feel... small.  
Thinking back on the test itself, she hadn't been able to do much. At all. She was no match for Kakashi-_sensei_, and she likely never would be. Whereas Naruto and Hikaru took the _jounin_ on... well, head on, not giving the man a second to think. They were still outclassed, no big surprise there, but they didn't let that scare them.  
In fact, if Ino had seen right – which she didn't doubt for a second – it appeared as if the three of them were enjoying the scuffle. Ino can't really say she's ever seen either boy actually happy, but the ever present upward curl tugging at the edges of their lips...  
The blonde shook her head. '_That doesn't make sense! With Kakashi-sensei radiating so strong a battle aura they should have been paralysed just like... like me..._' And yet they weren't. They didn't even seem that fazed really. If Ino had to be completely honest, she had to fight to not wet herself.  
What was it with those two? Ino couldn't figure it out. Still, she wasn't going to get left behind!  
She started running to catch up.

* * *

"You actually used your _tessen_ against Aoba?" Naruto asked as everyone sat down at Ichirauku's. "Jeez, I thought you didn't trust him." Tatsuko was still out of it, and she spent no effort trying to cover that up. With her _hitai-ate_ hanging from her neck, like Hinata, and her shades put away it was hard not to notice the lack of colour in her face. Well, that and Hinata holding her steady while they were walking.  
"'Ruto... hush." Was all the Senju would say. She seemed fixated on testing the wooden counter top as a possible... bed? Luckily Teuchi already knew what his regulars wanted to eat, so only Ino and Hinata actually had to read the menu.  
"I wonder how Yuuna's coming along with her test." Hikaru said. It was hard to tell, but there was a slight glint of humour in his eyes.  
"_Imouto-chan_'s gonna pass. No doubt about it. Besides, lazy as _Bushomono_ is, he'd never want to suffer through another year at the academy." Naruto announced. Ino actually couldn't find fault with his logic – she would have said the same thing about her childhood friend.  
Well, since there was nothing else interesting to do, everyone ate when their food arrived. Though Kiba and Hinata seemed to try help Tatsuko balance herself... more than their teammate was comfortable with. '_Well, they don't know your proud streak, Nee-san. So what will you do with them? I can't imagine you'd risk letting them get hurt, but will you learn to trust them so that you can protect them properly?_'

Hikaru wondered at his own musings. It wasn't like him, but then his shining example wasn't really much in character either. Things certainly were going to be interesting in the coming weeks.

* * *

Later that afternoon, around two if Yuuna guessed right, Asuma was laughing. Not a polite laugh either. Or an amused one. It was more a shocked, how the hell did that happen, take me straight to the loony bin laugh.  
Then again, it wasn't really that surprising that he was out of it. He was trapped in Shikamaru's shadow bind – which usually wouldn't be enough to trap a much stronger opponent like Asuma should be. Then Chouji used his partial expansion to grapple him before he could escape from Shikamaru's jutsu. You'd think that was it? Nope!  
Yuuna used some special paper seals that seemed to sap all his strength. Four in total – one for each limb.  
While helpless as a new born, Yuuna just strolled up and took the bells, handing them over to Shikamaru – obviously the designated leader of the pack.  
"Did we pass?" the Nara asked lazily. He seemed in no mood to risk having to catch the _jounin_ again if they released him prematurely.  
Asuma tried to speak. He wanted to congratulate his team – which he intended to pass from the start anyway. But he couldn't.  
"He like totally can't speak. The tags are totally sapping his ability to move." Yuuna explained – earning a groan from the team leader.  
Shikamaru groaned, already exasperated. He wasn't used to maintaining his _jutsu_ this long. "Can he nod?"  
"Uh huh." Yuuna said, nodding and smiling impishly. It was apparently the only thing he **could** do while trapped by her paper seals.  
"Better than nothing. Asuma-_sensei_, nod if we pass." Shikamaru was starting to turn pale, and from the looks of it, so was Chouji. Yuuna was the only one that looked like she could go on.  
Still, Asuma was amazed. He was actually fighting to not get caught! **Actually** trying! It took them all morning and some of the afternoon, but they caught him fair and square. He nodded. True, it was slow, but that was more because Shikamaru actually forgot that he had to release his _jutsu_ to even allow that. He didn't release it, by the way.

'_These kids could take on a chuunin alone... if they take it seriously that is._' Asuma thought. He wondered what they would be capable of in time...

* * *

The following day, Teams 7, 8, 9 and 10 were being registered at the Hokage Tower. There were about ten other teams that officially passed the academy exams, but these were the only ones that passed the _jounin_'s final test.  
The other teams would be allowed to take another year of remedial classes – so long as they had not failed three times.  
"Uchiha-_sama_, a word?" Sasuke and his team – Sakura announced that only Sasuke had the skills needed to be the team leader – were just entering the Tower when the Hokage's advisers called to the avenger.  
Sasuke and the two elders entered a room, shutting the door securely behind them. "You are aware that you have as yet not lived up to the council's ruling. As yet you have no offspring and more importantly no concubine." Koharu, the lady elder announced.  
"We have much sway with the council, but not so much that we can negate them entirely. You will need to produce a boychild before you will be allowed on your first mission. Heedless of your status of genin."  
"Then I'll just take my time and train." Sasuke seemed unimpressed. As if he no longer cared.  
"You forget that you are now twelve years old. You have less than a year to find four willing females to bare your heirs, or the council will select them for you." The woman seemed more upset than Sasuke used to be about this.  
"If it helps, we have taken the liberty of asking the other members to help us make a list of possibles. It is lengthy enough to fill the requirements, but you will have to follow up on it yourself." The man announced.  
A neatly folded paper was pressed into Sasuke's hand, then he was alone once.

He had to admit, if only to himself, he was curious. So he unfolded, and unfolded... and unfolded. Jeez how did they make it fold so small?  
Ten names. A total of ten names to work with. Arranged alphabetically with two markings on either side of each name. One was the willingness of the girl, the other the willingness of the parents – five stars being most willing, one star being least willing.  
'_Best odds are to go with the ones that are as willing as the parents... still, who are we talking about here?_'

Haruno Sakura. Fire stars for her and her parents. '_What a shock..._'  
Yamanaka Ino. Five stars for her, none for her parents. '_Well she's obviously out._'  
Hyuuga Hinata? Five stars for her parents, three stars for her. '_Interesting._'

The others were names Sasuke didn't recognize. Some were more willing, some were less willing. But there were only names. He certainly wanted the ones that could help him most to become stronger – or at least good looking ones that knew to shut up around him.  
Logically speaking, Sakura was the easiest place to start. She was more than willing and had admitted that morning that she was desperate.  
He was still more than a little upset that the Senju rejected him time and time again. Which was made worse by her being teamed up with that mutt.  
Still, he wouldn't give up on her. He would claim her and have her give him more heirs than any other! He just needed to shut the council up for now. And Sakura is the easiest place to start doing just that. A bit young to start baring children, but not impossible. '_Oh well, if she agrees to it that's her own __business._'

Uchiha Sasuke set out to start his conquest. And he had all the information he would ever need to accomplish his goals.

* * *

"What did you want to talk about, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. He had led her to the pond behind his house. A private place he usually didn't let anyone enter, but this had purpose.  
"I need something, and you can help me get it." He told her honestly.  
"Really? How can I help?" Sakura was practically jumping up and down with joy. '_Shanero! This is where he asks me to marry him and we live happily ever after! Take that Ino-bunta! HYAAA!_'  
"Close your eyes." He said, leaning in slightly. She immediately obliged, licking her lips to make sure they were kissable. "Tell me something, Sakura... What would you allow me to do to you?"  
'_Anything!_' Inner Sakura was shouting in the pinkette's head. "What do you want to do to me?" He kissed her lips – just a quick peck. He was obviously not used to contact of any kind, let alone something so intimate. '_Now's my chance! CHARGE!_' With Inner-Sakura egging her on, she wrapped her arms round him to keep him close to her and she kissed him back.  
'_She's at least obedient enough to keep her eyes closed. She'll do._' He grabbed both her cheeks – her behind, mind you – and gave them a experimental squeeze.  
"Maybe we should go inside?" Sakura still had her eyes closed, obviously not wanting to do anything that Sasuke didn't explicitly tell her to do. Still, she didn't feel comfortable making out in public.  
"Fine, but you keep your eyes closed the whole time. And no complaining."

They entered the house, Sakura holding Sasuke's hand as if it was her leash – a fact Sasuke was pleased with. "Before we do anything, I need to know one thing."  
"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" She breathed, she was obviously walking on clouds.  
"That I will be the only one you ever do anything like this with." He said. One unspoken rule among the clans was that a male could have multiple women, but a woman could only have one man. Anything but complete fidelity to one's husband was seen as treason – at best. Though women everywhere will agree how unfair that is, it was a rule made by the heads of clans in times passed. Likely males heads, since there was almost never a female head of a clan.  
"Of course- OHHH!" Sakura was surprised when Sasuke grabbed her breast. "Sasuke-_kun_..." In Sakura's mind she was going to be his one and only. A simple miscommunication... right?

* * *

"All right Team 9, today's the day!" Aoba announce happily. He and his team had just finished having their pictures taken and were on their way to the Mission's Desk for their first mission.  
Of course Aoba knew what their mission was going to be, seeing that he had arranged it with the Hokage himself. He knew he was exited about it, and he was sure his team would be too when they understood what it meant.  
Still, he was more than a little curious as to Tatsuko's reaction. She would undoubtedly become the team's leader – something that was was decided among the genin themselves – so her reaction was the most important, next to his.

At the mission's desk Sarutobi Hiruzen and Umino Iruka were handing out the missions to any and all teams that were there to accept them. Of course the Hokage had the final say in all cases, but Iruka made his suggestions whenever he saw fit.  
"Team 9 reporting for duty." Aoba announced, himself and the three genins standing at attention.  
"Ah, Aoba-_kun_. Right on time. I have the mission you requested." Iruka said, handing a scroll marked with a 'D' to the Hokage. Hiruzen read the scroll, as is the custom, and tossed it to Aoba. With little effort, the _jounin_ caught it and nodded with a smile.  
"I'm sure you are all aware of this, but I will say it anyway." The Hokage began, taking a long drag of his pipe. "This mission is about building trust and teamwork. I trust you all know what that means." Three genin nodded, though the blonde one was slightly less sure. "Good. Then I will leave you to it. I will want a full report when you get back."  
For reasons only two of the room's occupants understood, the Hokage's eyes never left Tatsuko's during his little pep talk... though Aoba had a sneaking suspicion.

"We meet by the gate in one hour. Pack for a three week mission." Was all Aoba said, before disappearing.

* * *

'_A three week mission? It must be a training mission. There is no way Saru-ji-chan would greenlight anything else for two green genin._' Tatsuko already had her things packed and left several lengthy scrolls with Hikaru for himself, Yuuna and Naruto to continue their training while she was out of town.  
It would be weird, not seeing them for so long... but this was something that she knew she would have to deal with eventually. '_At least I know they can fend for themselves. And I know... Kakashi-sensei will take care of my little brothers._' She had to fight to not jab at his laziness. Or the laziness of Asuma...  
"_Ano_... Tatsuko-_chan_..." Hinata had already packed her things and decided to join Tatsuko while she was getting her's ready. The blonde looked up from her ministrations – packing things just right was a _kata_ to her, so she took her sweet time perfecting every detail. "Th-there was s-s-someth-thing I-"  
"Hinata-_chan_. Breathe deep." The 'elder' of the pair couldn't help but smile at how flustered the brunette got every time she was about to ask about a certain hyperactive knucklehead.  
In... Out... "there was something I wanted to ask you..." She managed to not stutter, but she kept her voice barely above a whisper.  
"Sure, we've got about fifteen minutes before we need to start heading to the gate. Shoot." Tatsuko sat down on her bed, facing the clearly fidgeting Hyuuga – an odd combination of words, if you'd never met Hinata. '_Hyuuga's don't fidget, they finesse_' is an oft heard saying in Konoha... and always has been.  
"it's about naruto-_kun_." Hinata was already pressing her index fingertips together.  
"Yes, Hinata-chan?"  
"i was wondering if you c-c-could help me..." She paused, obviously fighting to get the words out and having no mental capacity left to fight the blush that stole across her cheeks.  
"Help you..." Tatsuko encouraged her to explain further.  
"to get n-naruto-kun to... n-notice me..." Shoulders slumped instantly, accompanied by an almost inaudible sigh. Having completed that particularly strenuous task, Hinata seemed to grow old – it was as if the weight of not having the answer instantaneously was weighing down on her mind and body.  
"He's already noticed you. But you're right, we need him to notice you better than he has." Hinata's eyes snapped onto Tatsuko's, almost as if a jutsu were cast by the blonde's words. "I hadn't planned on doing that just yet... but I think I can help you with that."

Almost as if she caught fire, Tatsuko was running this way and that. Collecting one item after the other. Well, to the casual observer it would seem as if she was simply continuing the same packing motions as before... but Hinata saw a different purpose in her eyes now. "I'll let you know what you need to start doing tonight. And anything I teach you is to be done in addition to whatever Aoba-sensei throws at us. Understood?"

* * *

**A/N: Well here you have it chapter 23! I thought this was a good place to stop this chapter, but I will warn you all that this is going to be my last short chapter. I could play it off saying that it's because the action is really going to start as of the next chapter - and though it is true, it's not the real reason. I've simply gotten too used to writing much longer chapters in A Promise Worth Keeping, which you guys might be interested in checking out. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 are already published.  
As well, there is something I need to know as of now: the rating of this story, is 'T' still appropriate you think? I think it's gotten kinda close to becoming a 'M' quite a few times, but no one complains so I've left it as is thus far. Should the rating be inaccurate, please inform me and it will be changed.  
The reason I am bring that up is because the world starts going to hell as of the next chapter. Sasuke has his eyes set on what he perceives to be his (the list was noted in the final chapter of Arc 1, don't think I've forgotten) but the females seem unwilling at best.  
Anyhoo, lots of love going out to Kiravu! And a long standing promise is being fulfilled in the next chapter. Maybe you guys will let me know what you think? **

**Shirokuma – Polar bear**  
**Yoko - Fox**  
**Inu - Dog**  
**Taichou - Captain**  
**Senpai - Upperclassman. A term used for someone who is of a higher class, usually for seniors within the same organization as you.**


	24. Arc3: For the sake of love

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - The Countdown**_

_**Teams are being formed, but how will this affect the freshly minted genin? And what are we counting down to? Well, regardless the action is getting kicked up a notch!**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.  
All #Signed# terms are being said in one form of sign language or another. **_

* * *

**~Hikaru's POV~**

"If you think for so much as one second that I wouldn't rip a hole through your skull for this-"  
"Hi-chan, no! Nee-chan won't-"  
"Yuuna, please keep out of this." Having one bitch isn't enough. Oh yes, I know all about him claiming Sakura for his little harem. Hell, with all the willing sperm buckets constantly cooing over everything he does he should be able to have his pick of the litter. But no. Sasu-fuck-face decides that he needs to have Yuuna. And not even her saying 'no' matters.  
"Yukikami, you should learn your place." He's just standing there in the doorway, acting like his attempted rape is the best thing that could happen to Yuuna.  
That's it. Fuck the orders. _Nee-san_ herself would rip him a new one if he tried this shit while she was here.  
"You know, Sasuke-_chan_, trying to claim an unwilling female under the banner of the Clan Restoration Act is in fact illegal." Naruto announced, somehow standing right behind Sasuke as if he was there the whole time. I couldn't see him very well, but he seemed to be cleaning under his fingernails with a _kunai_ and leaning against the wall as if he was on vacation.  
"What's it to you?" He just doesn't get it. Naruto's been openly calling Yuuna '_Imouto-chan_' for nearly a year now. A YEAR! And this mightier-than-thou piss-stain still doesn't get it. Gotta hand it to him, he's consistent if nothing else.  
"I could tell you, but you wouldn't care anyway. So let's just say that she's Hikaru's girl and I happen to like it that way." Naruto was offering the _teme_ the same dark tone that was being given the whole time. "But hey, why take my word for it. By all means, please take one more step towards your prize. After all, a mighty _shinobi_ like yourself should be able to handle three _genin_. No problem right?"  
That is a cue to draw my _kodachi_ if I ever heard one. I made sure to draw it loudly, just so that the fucktard can really hear that I would like nothing more than for him to follow Naruto's suggestion.  
"A word of warning though." Naruto was still as cool as I should be, but somehow this shit was just rubbing me the wrong way today. "Hikaru is good with that blade. But then, you'd know that if you could actually use the all mighty _Sharingan_... right?"  
"This isn't over." Sasume chickened out. FUCK! I was just hoping to spill some Uchiwa blood... Well, there's always next time.  
"Oh? Well then maybe I should be more obvious. Kitsunaga Yuuna, Senju Tatsuko, Hyuuga Hinata and Ryuusei Tenten are off limits. These are their own words and I have each of their permission to cut you down if you try anything against their will. That permission also comes with the added bonus of full authorization of the _Sandaime Hokage_ of _Konohagakure no Sato_. Should you doubt that, please feel free to take it up with the man himself. And you'll tell him that I informed you of this personally, won't you?" The chilly tone he used was actually sending shivers up my spine! I'm used to being the chill factor in the room, but this is actually out of my league. And since when does Naruto have that much sway? Did I miss something?  
Well, no matter. The point has been made and he is obviously not having his way this time.

"Now, if you'll kindly leave. We like to keep our doors locked and we actually have a **mission** waiting on us." I couldn't help but chuckle at the barb. I dunno who this guy is, but I like him!

* * *

"_Imouto-chan_, where are you supposed to meet your team?" We were on the rood, gear on and ready to take on the world again. Naruto and I agreed in no uncertain terms that we would take Yuuna to her team and have a little heart-to-heart with them before we go to wait for Kaka-_sensei_. Old lazy probably won't be there for another few hours, so we can take our time.  
"Training ground four." Yuuna replied. She was obviously still a little out of it from the _teme_-scene. I really need to make it up to her; I should have been the one to deal with that ass, but I lost my cool. There was just something about the mere thought of losing her that did things to me.

Anyway.

We dashed off. Naruto leading the way, Yuuna right behind him and me taking up the rear. I felt safer being able to keep an eye on her, one of the reasons I always took the late shift. She's cute when she's asleep.  
Losing focus. I tuned my hearing to pick up the slightest sound behind me and I kept the two blades I keep hidden in my sleeves ready to pounce at any given second. _Teme_ wasn't going to give up so easily. Sure, he'll likely just take the route with least resistance for now, but he'll be back to-  
You know what, fuck it. I don't care what he thinks. Yuuna is mine, just as much as I am hers. Naruto even gave his blessings, telling me to take care of his _Imouto-chan_. _Nee-san_ has pretty much written us off as married at birth, so there is no one that can or will stop us from being together.  
I gripped the string tied to my blades just a little tighter, ready to unleash my wrath on anything that would dare keep the love of my life from my arms.

It's weird not having _Nee-san_ around. The last time we spent more than a day apart... well that had a greater purpose, and hundreds of Uchiwa died as a reward. Still, not being near her is bringing up some painful memories. I've never gotten used to not having her around.  
Even when on missions, I was there with her. It was always her, _Tou-san_ and me. The inseparable Yukikami trio, that we were. I may have lost _Tou-san_, and eventually I'll lose _Nee-san_ to Kiba – via marriage, of course – but Yuuna is the constant in my life. She's the only girl that even looked at me when my face was fucked up. She's my home, and I will defend her from anything and everyone.

* * *

"Good moooooooooooorning Asuma-_sensei_!" Yuuna had recovered her aplomb during the sprint, so she was as happy as she ever was. Since the mission was completed, everyone was unofficially ordered to drop the masks we had trained ourselves to wear around the clock – what that means... kinda remains to be seen.  
"Good morning, Yuuna-_chan_. I see you've come with full escort, care to explain?" Asuma. He's tall, bearded and seems to be unable to breathe without a cigarette in his mouth. As far as I can remember, he was once part of the Twelve Ninja Guardians – a group set up to guard the Fire _Daimyo_. That should mean without doubt that he is a tough as they come.  
"Of course, Asuma-_sensei_. Hikaru and I escorted my _Imouto-chan_ here to ensure that a very clear message was conveyed, both to you and to Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto spoke almost formally, clearly he thought this man was as worth respect as _Nee-san_. A statement in my opinion.  
"Message?" He offered a lopsided grin. It might have to do with his cigarette though.  
"Yes. If you would indulge an older brother's simple wish to ensure that Yuuna remains unaccosted, I would be most grateful." Unaccosted? Wow. Someone's been studying the dictionary.  
The _jounin_ smiled a little wider. "I'm assuming that includes Sasuke."  
"Especially, but not only. You see, I do not doubt Yuuna's ability to stave off undesired solicitations. It's just that her unwillingness to resort to violence if needed tends to encourage the less... reputable... of the lot." Naruto seems... different. What has _Nee-san_ been teaching that boy?  
"So you would like us to use whatever force she is unwilling to, should the need arise." He catches on quick. I like him.  
"Precisely." Naruto smiled. There seemed to be a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he's got something up his sleeve.  
"Alright, that seems fair." Asuma bowed to the him.  
Naruto bowed in thanks, then turned to the last two members of Team 10. "This request includes Shikamaru and Chouji as well. Please, take good care of my _Imouto-chan_. She means the world to me."  
"It's troublesome beyond words, but it **is** the right thing to do." Nara complained. Apparently the logic in the request agreed with him.  
"Hey, I've got a little sister myself. I'll keep an eye on Yuuna if you help me keep an eye on Choumi. And Shikame, Shikamaru's little brother. Shikamaru probably thinks it's too troublesome to ask himself." Akimichi has a sister? Nara has a brother? Since when? What have I been missing? Was I that focused on guarding Yuuna and Naruto that I simply missed the entire world around me?  
"A fair trade. And thank you." Naruto bowed again.

"Hey, guys! Maybe we should set up a picnic so we can meet everyone's family?" Yuuna seemed to be enjoying herself already. I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Family. An odd word. One that used to describe the Yukikami clan. Later, that word was used to describe _Tou-san_, _Nee-san_, Yuuna and me. Then it was just _Nee-san_, Yuuna and me.  
Words aren't supposed to change their meaning so often. But enough of all that philosophical bullshit, it's time to get ready for training with Kaka-_sensei_.  
We made it to training ground seven, new home to Team 7. Kaka-_sensei_ chose this same training field when _Nee-san_ and me were on his team to keep an eye on Naruto and Yuuna. We would meet here at midnight every night to train. Maybe it's the proximity to the Memorial Stone, or just the variable terrain. Who knows. He's in charge so I don't need to worry about simple details.  
"Hey, 'Ruto, wanna spar till one-eye shows up?" I asked once we were on solid grounds again.  
"And ignore Sasuke-_chan_? Not a chance." There was that twinkle in his eyes again. I think I'm going to enjoy this.  
"Well, I was hoping to do just that, but you seem to have something special in mind?" We both turned to Sasuke trying to put the moves on Ino – and Ino was obviously happy about it, seeing that she was placing her hand on his chest and saying something with half lidded eyes. Poor thing, maybe she's just unaware. "Hey Ino, don't touch that, you have no idea where's it's been!"  
The chuckle that escaped Naruto told me that he wasn't completely different, he was just showing that there was a serious side to him. "Hey Sasuke-_chan_! How's Sakura-_kun_ doing? I hear she's quite the screamer lately!" Yup, news travels quick in a ninja village. I heard the same thing last night when I went to the Hokage Tower to give in my final report as requested.  
"Wait! You mean you already did it with Sakura-_chan_ and are coming on to me now!" Obviously that little tidbit didn't get discussed as yet.  
"What of it? I am supposed to choose at least four girls, she just happened to be closest at the time." He actually said that with a straight face? Impressive.  
"The CRA?" Ino asked, seeming to understand the situation. "Sasuke-_kun_, you are supposed to tell the girls about that beforehand! It's not something you want to spring on them after the fact!" Ino actually earned a bit my respect for how she was handling herself. She was clearly still willing, but at least she wasn't blindly jumping aboard, ignorant of the cost. Not perfect, but not bad either.  
"Everyone knows that I'm going to take more than one wife. Why point it out?"  
"A little thing called RESPECT! Look, I have no intention of sharing my bed with half the village. So unless you come clean, please leave." She crossed her arms and actually took a step back. She meant business.  
"You know what you need to." Sasuke seemed more crabby than usual. Not a bad thing in my opinion – not worse than any other pathetic detail about him either.  
"Oh? Then how many girls have you already slept with? How many are you planning on 'recruiting'? How often will I have time alone with you, if at all... Do you love me or am I just another step towards fulfilling your ambition?" All very good questions he'll never be able to answer. "These are important factors to a girl, Sasuke!"

He didn't even answer her, he just took out a paper and crossed out something on it. "More trouble than she's worth. Hmm, I wonder who Akimichi Choumi is." Before he could even refold the paper, Naruto and I had our blades pressed against his neck. I made sure I was in his face, I wanted to see the life fade from his eyes if he did something stupid.  
"She's Chouji's little sister, and a recent addition to the list of girls you can't have. Now, just run along and play with someone with low standards." Naruto intoned. He's really turning into a major cock blocker for that duck's ass. What? Don't act like you've never noticed Sasume's hairstyle before!  
Again, Sasume hightailed it. I knew it was a matter of time before he got high on some of his usual bullshit and actually took the fight to us. I look forward to it.

* * *

After training, and catching the bane of ever _genin_'s existence – in the form of Tora, the hellcat – it was time to call it a day. Naruto and I headed over to training ground four, where we agreed to met up with Yuuna. Interestingly enough, Ino decided to join us.  
"What's with you?" I asked her about five minutes into our walk.  
"What? That I'd associate with a basket case like you?" She crossed her arms and humphed.  
"Among other things. Why aren't you chasing after your beloved? Trying to claim him for your own, and all that gobbledygook." Naruto's not going to be the only one that uses an expensive word today, and yes 'gobbledygook' is an actual word. Synonymous with 'jargon' to be exact.  
She let out an explosive sigh. "I would love to, but Sasuke wasn't going to say anything about the CRA. That's worse than cheating."  
"Good enough for me, Yamanaka." I said, actually offering a smile.  
"You can call me Ino, you know." She said.  
"Yes, I can." We continued walking in silence for a while. Blissful silence. I like silence, it makes it easier to pick out the sounds around me. Sounds like heartbeats, footsteps, the wind passing over, around and through every object around me. I can't quite map it out like _Nee-san_, but I can tell when something is off.

"Hey, 'Karu, I feel like doing something for _Nee-san_ while she's away. You up for helping?" Naruto announced. Hmm, that could be tricky business. You never know how she'd react.  
"Depends on what you have in mind."  
"Well, since we're all _genin_ now, that means we'll be making money to support ourselves, right?"  
"Yeah, but it wouldn't be much unless we plan on doubling up on missions every day. There isn't exactly a glamorous paycheck waiting at the end of a D-class mission." Ino explained. Who the hell invited her into this conversation?  
"Maybe, but it'll be enough if we pool it together, right? Then we could at least pay for the smaller things like food. It should be enough if we work together, right?" Naruto doesn't ask for confirmation unless he really has something big in mind. He's gotten so good at what he does that most of the time it's me asking him if a plan would work. Seriously, I think he's our group's second in command. But then, I think even _Hokage-sama_ sees that _Nee-san_ is good enough to ask her for advice most of the time.  
"Money isn't an issue, and it never has been. What's this about?" With me being the unofficial head of the Yukikami clan – _Nee-san_ will make it official once I make _jounin_ – and _Nee-san_ being the head of the Senju clan, and Yuuna being the head of the Kitsunaga clan... well, you get the point. Money is not an issue.  
"I was thinking about talking to _Hokage-jiji_ about us moving out of the orphanage. They could use the extra space." He sounds almost defeated...? Technically we could demand room and board until we make _chuunin_, so that means that there is something more going on.  
"And moving into the Yukikami compound?" I asked, wondering why this is coming up all of a sudden.  
"Yeah. I mean, it's rent free and it's just sitting there." He's got a guilty look plastered all over his face. Hell, he's even waking like he's guilty. He thinks it's his fault we moved out of our home. Well, it is kinda true, that was one of the main parameters of the mission.  
"We'd have to ask _Nee-san_'s permission first. And we'd have to run it by _Hokage-sama_ too." I told him honestly. I may be the head soon enough, but she's still the official head right now. Still, it wouldn't be to hard to arrange. "But I see no problem with the idea."  
"Can we go see _Hokage-jiji_ about it after we get _Imouto-chan_ then?"  
"Sure, let me just send a crow to check with _Nee-san_ first. You know how she gets when left outta the loop." I snapped my fingers and opened my palm (flat and horizontal) to accommodate the soon to exist being, mostly to confuse the hell outta Yamanaka – deception is one hell of a tool, _ne_?  
The crow that formed looked at me, cocked its head to one side, then flew off into the setting sun. "KAAAAH!" It shrieked, very crow like. If I'm lucky, Yamanaka will think it's a summon or something.  
"Shadow crows, cool." She announced, obviously impressed. Busted, uhh.

* * *

On our way to the Hokage Tower, with Yuuna in tow, I got the stream of memories that comes with releasing the _Kagegaresu_. I couldn't help but smile with what _Nee-san_ was teaching Hinata. I recognized the training tools immediately, and the Hyuuga seemed to be taking to it well. That will prove to be interesting once she's half decent.  
"_Nee-san_ approved. In fact, she has a damn good improvement on the idea." I announced, just as we entered the Tower.  
"Really? What?" Yuuna was gushing over the thought of not having to share any living space with the crazies running around the orphanage.  
"You'll see." I told her.

We made our way up to the third floor, where _Hokage-sama_'s office is and announced to the _chuunin_ on duty that we needed to see the head honcho.  
"He is in a meeting, but he'll see you shortly." We were told, so we took a seat and waited our turn. Yuuna was already working on some new seal she had been dreaming up, and Naruto was bugging her to explain what each marking meant and did – no matter how good he'd gotten, she was still lightyears ahead.  
"You guys make seals?" Yamanaka asked, clearly shocked.  
"No, their amateur characture artists. Can't you tell?" I deadpanned, earning an annoyed groan from her. "Look, you may be allowed to hang with us, but we don't trust you enough to be honest. So just be grateful they're doing anything that involves skill where you can see, okay?" She shrunk back, understanding my point perfectly.  
**#Hi-hi, way harsh!#** Yuuna signed.  
**#I concur.#** Naruto backed her up.  
"Then tell me I'm wrong in a way she can understand." I stated, my eyes never leaving Yamanaka's.  
"What would it take to earn your trust then?" Yamanaka asked.  
"More than you could endure. Just-"  
"Hi-_chan_ means that we have a hard time trusting people." Yuuna interrupted. "You would too, if your clan was slaughtered by an unidentified group within Konoha." She seems comfortable enough to not go hyper-bimbo, but not comfortable enough to say anything revealing. Yamanaka is stuck in Limbo with us, that much is obvious.

Soon enough we were called into _Hokage-sama_'s office, but I demanded Yamanaka remain outside. "Clan business is no business of yours." I'd told her. Which is what every clan tells anyone not of their own clan.  
"Hikaru-_kun_, Yuuna-_chan_, Naruto-_kun_. It's good to see the three of you." The old man greeted us. His eyes held a calculating glint, so he knew this wasn't going to be a social call.  
"And you, _Hokage-sama_. I apologize for the unneeded formalities, but we have come on official business representing Senju Tatsuko-_sama_." Naruto announced formally. He seems way too comfortable with that type of thing, given his rowdy and clown-like reputation.  
"Of course, I have been expecting this for some time now. Please tell me what I can do to help." Came the reply. Here he leaned forward and hid the lower portion of his face behind folded hands. A tactic most leaders tend to use in varying quantities – you show nothing but see everything. Naruto turned to me, obviously pointing out that I was the only one that had spoken to _Nee-san_.  
"_Nee-san_ requests that we clean up the Senju District and prepare it for her return from her current mission. She is prepared to issue a long term D-class mission to Teams 7 and 10 to have every house, including Kikyo Castle, cleaned and liveable for her return." I explained. "As well, she requests that Kitsunaga Yuuna, Uzumaki Naruto, Yukikami Hikaru, and herself move into that district and recruit enough servants to aid us in our daily affairs."  
_Hokage-sama_ listened carefully as I stipulated _Nee-san_'s exact words and guidelines. Obviously he had been expecting us to move into the Yukikami compound, not the Senju District. What, you didn't think that only the Uchiha owned their own section of town, did you? And as an added bonus, it's on the opposite end of town from the Uchiha District! We would almost never see shit-face again!  
"I see." Hokage-sama said.  
"She also said that you would have a list of sorts that would aid us in finding the very people we would need." I clarified, though I was not sure what it meant myself. Leave it to _Nee-san_ to pass on codes that even I can't figure out.  
"Of course, I've had it ready for a few weeks, still I am curious why this must happen now." His eyes held questions. Many, many questions.  
"I believe it is a power play, to counter the Uchiha's CRA movements." Naruto offered. "A sign to Konoha that the Senju clan is not dying out any time soon."  
"That is possible, but I think it's also a stick at Sasume for bugging the hell outta her." I added my two cents. "It's what I would've done."  
"Well, regardless. I will have the keys you need in the morning. Please inform your _senseis_ that I will need you to report here by ten. The list will be ready as well. And please tell Tatsuko-_chan_ that I'll need to speak with her." With that we were dismissed, his next appointment already knocking on the door. A tall man with long white hair and weird red markings. Smelled of perfume and sake too. Did he just come from a pleasure house or something?

Well, that went well, all things considered. Hm, Naruto might well be right. The Uchiha gaining strength is something that would definitely be worth countering in _Nee-san_'s eyes. Hmm, maybe we can help with that? I know just the thing we need...

* * *

Well, here we are again. In a way too small a room, huddled together like cattle in a barn. I hate this place, but luckily this should be our last night here. Naruto's on a mattress on the floor, Yuuna's on the top bunk and I'm kinda just hovering around the tiny window, seeing what little there was to see.  
It's almost eleven, so there is another hour for those two to rest before we head out for our training – our real training. Soon we'd be able to stop sneaking around like this – we'd have more than enough indoor space to train whenever we please.  
Soon. Somehow 'soon' never comes soon enough. I can still remember the days when we went into Training Ground Forty-four just as additional or supplemental training. We did most of our training in our basement – privacy can't be beat in your own basement.  
I wonder if _Nee-san_ would mind me and Yuuna sharing a room. I mean, right now no one cares cause we're all in the same room – no privacy to do anything naughty. Well, those are details we can work out in time. For now, we just need to focus on our immediate goal and have everything set up for our deadline in two and a half weeks.  
Hmm, what is _Nee-san_ planning? I'm sure she knows about Uchiwa's bedside conquest, so is this just part of the counter to that? Did she know that Naruto would start feeling guilty before he said something?  
Sometimes it's hard to figure out what that girl knows in advance, it's like she can read minds or something. She's probably going to start making a lot of moves that she had been unwilling to do in the past. Maybe she'll let me kill that waste of sperm once the seeds have been sown? Hell, that way Konoha still has the _Sharingan_ **and** I can say that the Uchiwa died at my hand too.  
I may have let go of the past, but that boys continues to irritate me every time he breathes. Something only Fugaku was that skilled at it. Humph, like father like son. Retarded shit faced raccoons.

Anyway, best to wake up the troops and get down to training.

* * *

"Yuuna, here's your scroll. Keep in mind to use only the minimum _chakra_ needed. We don't want _Neko_'s team investigating us like last time." I handed her the scroll, earning a playful swat seeing that I'm the one that overdid it.  
"'Ruto, _Nee-san_ wanted us to work on that Tornado Strike together. We won't be able to do a full scale version, but we should be able to practice the seals and moulding the _chakra_ needed for it. As well, she wants us to be able to do it without handseals by the time she gets back, so this is the time to use those clones of yours to their full effect to master this. Got it?"  
**#Roger, Hi-hi.#**

Well, that settles that. Now it's just to actually get down to work. I'm quicker at learning a new _jutsu_ than Naruto, always have been a fast learner. But he has the _Tajuu Kage Bunshin no-jutsu_, which makes up for whatever it is that he lacks.  
It took me well over two years to master using _Suiton_ and _Futon_ before _Tou-san_ would even begin teaching my _Hyouton_. Naruto has gotten to my level in _Futon_ in just under four months. Four! And this is not even the level I was at when _Tou-san_ said I was proficient, I mean the level I am now. It's no wonder that people feared his parents as they did. If they were half as skilled as Naruto seems to be, then they should have been the terror or their day.  
Anyway, pointless ramblings. Time for action. _Tori-I-Umi-Ne-Tatsu-Tori_. Cup hands and focus chakra in the center of both palms, focus spinning _chakra_ into open area between palms and release into open aired twirl.  
Why does she always describe it like it's a dance? Most Futon involve focusing chakra either in the palms or the fingertips, sometimes even both. Well, other than _Futon: Dan no-jutsu_. That one focuses all chakra in your Adam's apple to pressurize the air and shoot it like a bullet. That one's fun to use when no one thinks you're dangerous. No handseals needed – at least not for Naruto and me – and it can be used at point blank range. I like _Dan_.

Alright. Now for the boring stuff. I get to repeat those six handseals in quick succession for the next four hours. Then we go home and get another two to three hours of sleep and start the day once again. Just one more night.  
I looked over at Naruto, who already had thirty clones running through the sequence. Sneaky little bastard.

* * *

"My, my, my, you two look energetic this morning." Kaka-_sensei_ announced, two hours late as usual. Naruto and me were sparring, killing time until our trusty and tardy leader decided we were worth his precious time.  
Yamanaka tried to get us to spar with her too, but the first bruise was enough to teach her to cool her heals. What? Fuck you, _shinobi_ fight. You wanna play _shinobi_ then learn to take a hit or sit down and shut up. Hell, even Yuuna takes more punishment than that and keeps smiling. Then again, I think Yuuna would break Yamanaka in half without even trying.  
"Hikaru, what did you do to your teammate?" Kaka-sensei asked. Obviously he noticed that she was sitting by herself, and was still clutching her side in pain.  
"I sparred with her. In the same way I would spar with Naruto, _Nee-san_ and Yuuna. If she wants to play with the big kids, then she plays with the big kid rules." I told him bluntly.  
"Well, that seems fair at least. Well, let's get down to training then."  
"Uh, Kaka-_sensei_. We have to report to _Hokage-jiji_ before ten. So we can't take our precious time with training today." Naruto informed the cyclops.  
"Oh, what about?"  
"A mission. You'll know more when you need to." I intoned.  
"Sounds good. Then I guess it's good that you two are already warmed up. Naruto, I want you to help Ino stretch, then spar for thirty minutes. No stopping. Hikaru, I have something special in mind for you. Come with me."

He lead me a fair distance away, making sure we were well out of hearing distance of the others. "What've you got for me, Hi-hi?"  
"Nothing special. _Usagi_ wants something done and soon, I just don't know what as yet. _Usagi_ will let us know when we need to. As for _Kuroikage_, he's been silent lately. Probably doesn't need anything special right now, or too busy with something to notice us just yet." I explained evenly, already stretching to begin our spar once he was satisfied with the information presented.  
"And this mission you spoke of?" He asked, not even bothering to stretch.  
"Two and a half week mission to clean up the entire Senju District, including Kikyo Castle. It includes Team 10 as well. We have a list of contacts we need to approach about bringing life back to the Senju stomping grounds."  
"That isn't a lot of time." No argument there. "But I think we can pull it off."  
"We're talking about a hundred and thirty houses, a castle and six levels of defensive walls surrounding the area. Don't underestimate the situation, _sensei_." I warned.  
"True, but you aren't taking your teammate into account. A couple dozen clones would speed things up nicely. Not to mention how good you're getting with those crows of yours." He said.  
"Jeez, you sure you and Nara aren't related?" I teased.  
"Start looking underneath the underneath. You're just as smart as Shikamaru when you want to be, you're just too used to taking orders." He droned. "Now come on, we have things to do today." I unsheathed my _kodachi_, smiling at the scarecrow. Bring. It. On!

Taking out a single _kunai_ of his own, _sensei_ charged at me – obviously testing if my reaction time is as good as it was. He was keeping the sharp end against his forearm so he could 'stab' me with the ring. It leaves a nasty bruise and is painful in its own right. I ducked under the strike, and offered the grip of my _kodachi_ to his gut as a present.  
He sidestepped the blow, trying to land his foot behind my knee. Known fact, lose your footing, lose your life, so I jumped and unleashed two _Futon: Dan no-jutsu_s aimed for his shoes.  
"You've been practicing." He smiled, stepping out of the trajectory of my attacks.  
Three meters twenty, better jump back after this next attack. "I'm always practicing. I'm just shocked you didn't take out your Sharingan to try to copy that attack." I deadpanned, tossing three _kunai_ with bomb tags attached his way. Don't confuse explosive tags and bomb tags. Any idiot can make and explosive tag, but bomb tags are Yuuna's brainchild. They have a bigger explosion and add a concussion blast in the mix – essentially a dual attack that looks like the same tag. No one ever sees the difference before hand. Well, no one else.  
He _shunshinned_ right behind me, obviously knowing that I would be smart enough to steer clear of my own attack. He actually tagged me with the _kunai_ ring a five times, before I could get outta the way. Cheeky bastard.

And that shit really hurts too. Oh well.

I decided to unhook my sheath, seeing that it was time to step things up. I have five debts to pay. _Kodachi_ in right hand, sheath in left, and _Dan no-jutsu_ bringing up the front line. "A Yukikami always pays their debts, _ne_?" He taunted, waving me over to him.  
Fine, since he wants to play rough, maybe some dancing kunai will even the playing field a bit. Focusing on the _kunaibuyo no-jutsu_ I hovered the six _kunai_ around me – three on my left, three on my right. I wonder if Kaka-_sensei_ likes Swiss cheese?

* * *

Standing here staring at the map of the Senju District I can't believe how people could not notice how symbolic the entire area is. Hell, all of Konoha is just one big ass symbol of the Senju clan's might.  
After all, what is Nee-san's favored weapon? _Tessen_. Look at a map of Konoha and you see a big ass tessen sprawled out, with Hokage Monument at the point where the frame of the fan converges. And the Senju District is literally designed off of the Senju Clan symbol! At the heart of the symbol was Kikyo Castle.

As promised_ Hokage-sama_ provided us with the keys we'd need, as well as a letter to show the ANBU that would be stationed at the only entrance to the district. Eventually we'd need to station our own people there, since the ANBU would be needed everywhere else, but we were promised that two ANBU guards would still be stationed there until further notice.  
At any rate, it didn't matter at this point. We had the task of cleaning this place up.  
Teams 7 and 10 were given the mission of cleaning the place up, but regardless it would be damn near impossible given how much needed to be done. "_Bushomono_, you got a plan?" I asked Nara.  
"Yeah, take a nap and see how quick y-" _**WHAP**_! Yuuna obviously doesn't like slackers. She must have picked that up from _Nee-san_, 'cause she wasn't always like that.  
"Got a plan that won't get you another one of those?" I asked, chuckling as Yuuna cocked her fist for one more go.  
"... _mendokusei_..." He grumbled. I'm actually amazed he didn't fall over from the blow, but it isn't OOC for Yuuna to pull her punches when it's just to get a message across. "Start with the most important and work our way out. If the major parts are tip top, a few houses at the outskirts won't matter." He was nursing the soon to be bruised arm where Yuuna hit him.  
"_Sensei_?"  
"Sounds like a solid plan to me. We start at the castle then. Naruto send about thirty clones to check the roof, that way no one gets hurt if someone falls off. Hmm, and send about thirty more to start from the ground floor and work your way up. Everyone else, we start at the top floor and work our way down." Kaka-_sensei_ instructed. Truthfully we were maybe five steps into the barrier of the Senju District. But it was far enough in that any tails we picked up would have to make their intentions known.

"Do you know who I am?" Uchi-_teme_ announced when the ANBU wouldn't let him through. Clearly he'd been following us and has no intention to stop following us for whatever reason.  
"Yes, but who you are won't matter so long as you attempt to enter without permission." I couldn't help but smile when I heard the familiar voice. Neither ANBU spoke when we entered, just checked our permission scroll. I honestly didn't think I'd know them – familiar though as they seemed – but I know that voice.  
You don't spend every waking moment for six months with someone without recognizing every nuance in their voice. I turned around and took another good look at them.  
Yup. Yu and Ise, the Ii girls that trained Naruto, Yuuna and me while _Nee-san_ was away. Not the brightest in the bumch, but loyal and sneaky as hell.  
"I demand you let me through."  
"Can it, fuckwad." I ground out as I walked back. "No one gets in here without _Nee-san_'s express permission. Which you know **you'd** never get. But by all means, there's an easy side entrance just over that way. Help yourself to sneak in through there." I told him, pointing to my left. I of course knew it was bullshit, seeing that the walls were mere decoration. It's the seals on the inside of the walls that keep people out – just like they keep people out of Konoha. You can only enter through the sole gateway, that's it – unless you like smelling like freshly backed duck.

Well, not my problem. He should know that unlawful entry is punishable by death. Right?

We continued on our merry way, without Uchi-_teme_. Eventually coming up to the second biggest building in Konoha. Second, because the Hokage-Tower was three floors taller. Though they were world apart in design and aesthetics.  
Hokage Tower is smooth, round and new. It's designed with _genjutsu_ covered windows so you can't look in and more importance than actual history.  
Kikyo Castle however... as the ancestral home to the Senju clan is bathed in history. Twice as wide as it is long and equally long as it is tall, it forms a perfect rectangle without it's roof. The roof is always what sets a castle apart, so it was designed with the two traditional fish-dragons on both sides it its central beam. Blue roof tiles, royal blue was it? And five floors tall!  
"This is going to take a long ass time." I complained. Everyone else kinda just nodded.

* * *

Do you know how big a castle is? It's a trick question of course, but the point is that you never know until you have to clean it. All of it... ALL of it. Every room, every bed, every closet, every window, every wall, every floor... All of it...  
And that was just the cleaning. "Sensei, maybe you should start working on the list _Hokage-sama_ gave us. Cause we are going to need reinforcements. I can't feel my hands." I wined.  
"_Yare yare_. Complaining already?" He was lazing about, making sure we do our job perfectly. Lazy bastard. "Besides, they weren't meant to help with our mission, so keep scrubbing that floor. I can't see my reflection yet."  
"Wow. Your reflection in a wooden floor. That's going to be a synch." I deadpanned, already scrubbing again.  
"Hikaru, really. Naruto's doing ten times more work than all of us put together, and he's not complaining in the least." Yamanaka 'helpfully' pointed out.  
"He's not complaining cause I'd point out this was his idea in the first place." I said, already scrubbing the floor. Guess what, after scrubbing this thirty meter long corridor... we get to oil it... yay. And this is just the top floor... four floors to go. Not even counting all the rooms...  
Well, with a little luck Naruto will get most of the work down himself. Not that I'm lazy... Nara has that covered on his own. I'm just... designed to do... other types of jobs... than this. Are these damn brushes weighted or something!

* * *

Okay, let's see. Map... Top (fifth) floor is offices – I guess. That or storage of some kind. All more or less the same size, so the no real difference there. Funny seals on doors, so we couldn't open any of them. _Nee-san_ can clean em herself if she won't unlock them.  
Fourth floor is bedrooms. Lots of bedrooms. With a showering area at each end across from a slightly larger bedroom.  
Third floor More bedrooms and a two large sitting rooms.  
Second floor... master bedroom, study... separate showering area. Some smaller bedrooms, but still larger than on the fourth and third floors. Obviously the important people slept on the second floor.  
And the first floor held the dojo, the library, the main sitting room, the kitchen... and a small basement under the kitchen for storage.

Fucking huge! And that didn't even include the empty space in the attic. You could house an army in that place alone! Let alone the houses in the surrounding area. There was even a pond, a small wooded area, and a park. FUCKING EPIC! We're going to live here? We'd never need to leave this place ever again. Plenty of space to train, to relax, to go nuts!  
The only thing I can find is the traditional – and slightly predictable – hidden passages. Well, _Nee-san_ can figure that out on her own when she gets here.

Day 1, and the castle was actually finished. Naruto rocks!

* * *

Yuuna, Naruto and I already packed all our shit and were moving into the castle. We decided to just claim a random room until _Nee-san_ got back and we could organize a bit better. I decided that now was a good time to go over that list, but I didn't recognize a single name. Still, it didn't matter.  
What I did know was that we needed to start buffering our numbers. We'd never need to actually defend the place, we were still well within Konoha's borders, so that was everyone's duty. No, it was more making sure people knew not to fuck with us. A common thing the idiots everywhere on the planet have been known to do at one time or another.  
_Nee-san_ would be working on a plan, and likely a list or two that needs handling. Hmm, I'll need to go see her soon about that. Or maybe I'll just ask Naruto to handle that, seeing that a clone would be more useful for that than a crow. Then again, I think _Nee-san_ would want her little project to remain a secret until the time was right... well a list wouldn't be too hard to retrieve.  
Hmm, interesting. I never thought _Nee-san_ would actually do it. With everything that's happened in her life, I never thought she'd work up the courage to go through with it.  
Then again... maybe courage isn't the key ingredient here. No, not by a long shot. There is a hidden motif there somewhere.  
Repopulating the Senju District, claiming her rightful title for all of Konoha, and no doubt the world, to see. There is something she's trying to prove. Something she is shouting out loud for her intended audience. But what? And to who?

I can't help but feel the who is none other than the prick of all pricks. Well, more a mini prick if you ask me, but that is Sakura's trouble, not mine.  
Hmm, Uchiha Sasuke and Senju Tatsuko. Both the last of their respective clans. Both about the same age. What sets them apart?  
Well, before we graduated from the academy basically everything, but nothing _Nee-san_ could talk about. So that means it's the view of the world. She lived in an orphanage and he lived in his ancestral home. Then he makes a move to start repopulating his clan... which she is still too young to do. But she has better connections than him, more friends and much better skills.  
So how to tip the scale in her favor?  
The Senju District... and Kikyo Castle. That and whatever else she has up her sleeve. I don't doubt for a second she's got more, but is waiting for the right moment. Hmm, what else could there be? I'm sure she'll tell me when I need to know.

* * *

Do you have any idea how sweet this is? I am training at eight in the morning. And no one can see me do it! I love this place! Sure, it's mostly just stretches, _katas_ and some of the usual morning work out stuff, but I don't have to look over my should to do it!  
The guys should be here in an hour or so, so there's still time to get cleaned up IN A PRIVATE BATHROOM and go get some breakfast. Not sure if Yuuna snuck some food in with her, but it makes no difference.  
It's going to take a long time to get used to the shit most people take for granted. Like privacy. And the choice of when you go to sleep. Sure waking up is still more or less dictated my the team schedule, but that is much more flexible than the bullshit I've been living with for years!  
"Mornin', Hi-_chan_." I stopped mid pushup, looking up to see a redheaded angel with those annoying creases in your skin that shows you were sleeping not more than five minutes ago. She still looked gorgeous.  
"Morning sleepy head." I smiled. "Rest well?"  
"Yeah. It was weird to not have to wake up at midnight to train though." She offered a lopsided grin.  
"True." I continued my workout, only having thirty-odd pushups to go.  
"It felt like we were breaking the rules or something." She seemed... preoccupied... with that thought. "Like we were cheating..."  
"No. We're simply adjusting to the new rules. We can train here now, so sneaking around at midnight is no longer needed." I corrected.  
"Adjusting, huh..." She clearly wasn't convinced.  
Having finished my pushups, I got up and toweled myself off. "Yeah... It's like working with a new weapon. It's a little awkward at first, but over time it becomes a part of you. Just go with it, and trust that I'll be here to catch you if you fall, okay?" I gave her a peck on the cheek, telling her to get ready 'cause we were heading out for breakfast.

We were out the door in less than ten minutes, with Naruto in tow. Naturally we headed for Ichiraku's. So much is changing so quickly, but that's a good thing in my opinion. "Good morning, should I pour some tea while you guys check the breakfast menu?" Teuchi-_san_ greeted us. Ayame-_san_ must have the late shift today, seeing she's not here.  
"Sounds good to me!" Yuuna enthused. Bubbly as ever, in public domain. I can see the worry lining her eyes.  
"So, you've come out of your 'castle' at last." I heard a mosquito buzzing somewhere in the distance. Oh wait, that's just fuck-face.  
"Listen, I don't need people troubling my customers!" Teuchi warned. He was well aware of the bad blood between that prick and us, and we're his best customers – in volume of orders, if not frequency.  
"And look, you've found a new pet too. Does he do any tricks?" King emo is really PMSing this morning.  
"Look, Uchiwa, fuck off. We've got nothing good to say to you and we have a long day ahead. You know, **missions**." I intoned. I could feel a burst of killer intent wash over me. Too bad it would only affect babies, or maybe some small woodland critters. Nah, they must be used to really scary shit, like beavers. Yeah, beavers are totally out of that prick's league.  
"So, you three move into someone else's property and suddenly you think you're something."  
"Wow, Sasume, that's the most I've heard you say without pausing to brood. Shouldn't you be off stealing people's daughters or something?" Teuchi seemed to frown a little deeper at that statement. "Oh you didn't hear, Teuchi-_san_? Uchiwa's in the CRA and he thinks it means he can fuck anything that walks." The frown deepened more, but he focused on preparing our order.  
"Hnn." He sounded pissed. Like I fucking care! Go bother someone else! "I ne-"  
"Fuck off, Uchiwa. We are trying to eat our meal in peace." I didn't even turn to him this time. I knew that if he tried something stupid Naruto would give me the heads up. And Yuuna certainly wouldn't let her guard down with him around either.  
Why did that matter? Because completely ignoring someone shouts how little of a threat they represent to you. And to _shinobi_, that is cause for war.  
He's still standing there. I can sense him. He's got something to say, but he really should have picked another fucking crowd.  
"Sasuke, what do you want?" Naruto finally asked, actually turning to face the boy. Well, food wasn't served yet so we have a few seconds to kill. Five, four, three, two... one. Nope. No longer give a fuck.  
"Nothing you would understand." He said, turning to walk off. Good riddance.  
"And I believe you owe me something." He was suddenly standing next to Yuuna – a shunshin if my guess was right – leaning in. She shied back, but made no move to ward him off psychically.  
"W-w-what...?" He was leaning in to kiss my girl. Well. Cause of death... definitely a _kunai_ through the heart.  
I drew my blade – never leave home without it, and was already shoving it forward to pierce right between his fifth and sixth rib, aiming up slightly. Even if he's lucky enough for me to miss his heart, that would puncture the tube rubbing between his lungs – and _Tou-san_ taught me to always follow through and sever the lung for good measure. Still as good as dead.

CLANK!

FUCK! Naruto was using the ring of one of his _kunai_ to stop my blade. He was even reinforcing it with chakra to not leave room for surprises. "Uchiha Sasuke. This is the one and only time I save your life. The next time you attempt to even speak to my _Imouto-chan_ I will not stop anything that comes your way. Is that understood?" Naruto's being far too generous, but it's his right.  
Sasume was suddenly acting like he didn't care. "She'll be mine in time." I heard him mumble under his breath. "They all will be."

_Nee-san_ is going to hear about this. Today. I'm taking no risks with this rapist wannabee.

* * *

To hell with missions. To hell with training. To hell with crows. I told Kaka-_sensei_ the situation and told him that I was going to _Nee-san_ to give her the update personally. There was no way I was standing for that kind of bullshit. Even if Naruto says he'll keep out next time – there will **be** no fucking next time. This shit has got to stop. I am not living my life looking over my shoulder for another Uchiwa shaped shadow, wondering who he'll take from me next.  
Fuck that. I've lived that life until Itachi – the only honorable Uchiha that ever walked the face of the planet – swept his clan off the fucking map. I'd trade Sasume for Itachi in a heartbeat. Shit, Itachi could sleep in my fucking bed!  
It took me less than an hour to get to _Nee-san_'s camp – and another three hours to give her every detail as she wanted to hear it. Yes, she likes every little detail.  
"I see." She eventually said. Aoba-_sensei_ seemed even less impressed than I was and Kiba seemed ready to neuter the fucker. Hinata however, seemed to be bothered on a whole other level.  
"Hinata-_chan_, spill it." I instructed. She stammered for a good minute, trying to say something intelligible.  
I didn't understand half of it. Sorry, but the hour long run did nothing to cool me down, so decoding her stammering is not in the realm of possibility right now. But seeing that everyone that could understand her was getting visibly upset...  
"What'd he do?"  
"He's angling with her father to marry her legally. And her father has thus far agreed." _Nee-chan_ translated. FUCK! Naruto's not going to be pleased to hear that! I'm sure I'll be sent to kill him in his sleep now... Hmm, maybe I should be the one to tell him. Yeah, then I'll be sent for sure. I couldn't help but smile at the thought. Definitely telling him.

_Nee-san_ took out a blank scroll and was furiously scribbling something onto it. She then rolled it up, and sealed it with a _jutsu_. She tossed it to me. "Take that to Hyuuga Hiashi. No one is to read that scroll other than the intended audience. Is that clear?" I nodded. "Tell him that the river is flowing, and spring is blooming. He'll know what it means."  
Senjus and fucking codes. Whatever. Flowing river, blooming spring. Anyone for a game of chess? Cause clearly I've become a fucking pawn here.

* * *

Hearing the pieces moving. That's all I ever get. I've just told the guard at the Hyuuga gate that I have message from Senju Tatsuko, and he seemed more than eager to let me in. What the fuck have I been missing? I was immediately escorted into the compound and instructed to wait in the sitting room for 'Hiashi-sama'. Sorry, but other than _Hokage-sama_ the only one that ever gets the 'sama' suffix died a long fucking time ago.  
"What is this message you bring me?" Another nameless Hyuuga asked me. Well, he should be pretty important, since his forehead is unmarked.  
"Would you tell the messenger more than he needs to know?" I asked, showing him the scroll _Nee-san_ gave me. He smiled, but made no move to reply – or to take the scroll. "I was instructed to say that the river is flowing and spring is in bloom." His eyes widened – barely noticeable, but there. He took the scroll without problem and broke the seal. Weird, seeing that when a scroll is sealed with a _jutsu_, only the one who seals it knows how to break that seal without a second thought. It's like having a password, Yuuna had explained once. Sometimes the password is to keep people out, or to prove who the sender is... maybe that's it? Oh well. Whatever.

"You will of course forgive my suspicion as to the timing." He said, burning the scroll.  
"I beg your pardon, but I don't know what the scroll said. I was instructed to give it to you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a million things to do today." I turned, already walking away.  
"Tell Senju-_sama_ that I would discuss this with her personally." He said.  
"Hyuuga-_san_, I am not obligated to to take orders, or even helpful suggestions, from anyone other than my _Nee-san_. Should you have a message, you should know how to contact her. Good day." I _shunshinned_ out of that compound, not giving him another second of my time. _Nee-san_ would have told me to expect a message from him if I was meant to take one. She knows I have no patience for people. Unless I was ordered to kill them. That's different. I've stalked people for weeks before slicing their throat without a second thought. But ask me to talk to them? Nah. Too much effort.

Fuck I sound old when I think of it like that. I wonder what Yuuna-_chan_ is up to?

* * *

Kitsunaga Yuuna. Born Namikaze Yuuna. The purest flower I've ever set my eyes on. She's busy cleaning the kitchen of one of the houses, so focused on the task at hand that she doesn't even sense me. She is the reason I breathe. I honestly think I would have lost my mind if it hadn't been for her. She soothed me, healed me with her innocence.  
Me... the prodigious son of Yukikami Suipou-_sama_. Sure I never met the legend, the only man said to have been a worthy rival of the _Yondaime_. But that title is irrelevant in death. _Tou-san_ is the one that raised me, trained me... loved me.  
The woman who bore me spoke of nothing but her late husband all my life – until death silenced her. She would only say how Suipou-_sama_ was the true head of the Yukikami clan and that _Tou-san_ was not worthy of leading it. She filled my head with a lot of bullshit like that. Still, _Tou-san_ would just agree with her, saying that he was merely raising me in his elder brother's steed. He would always say that he was a follower, not a leader. That was why I was 'taught' to lead.  
Of course I didn't give a shit about any of that. I only wanted to be with my _Tou-san_ and _Nee-san_. They were the only ones that saw me, instead of the ghost of Suipou-_sama_ overshadowing me. That was why I followed everything either of them ever said – they earned that right. I am more than capable of taking the reins and making up my own mind, but I see no point in it. It would just give those assholes a right to gloat in the afterlife of how much like my birth father I am. Fuck them.  
Suipou-_sama_ means a lot to me, yes. Like a goal I want to achieve, a hurdle to overcome. But that is not what a father is supposed to represent. That is what _Tou-san_ has taught me, everything that matters. To cherish, to love, to hold close those that bring meaning in your life.

Yuuna is one of those people. And she is one of the very few. She is everything. Hell, if she asked me to bring her dust form the moon, I doubt I'd ever give up until I did just that.  
Do you know that, Yuuna? Do you know how much you truly mean to me? How much you are worth?  
I just stood there for a long time. Imagining Yuuna washing the dishes after dinner, with our kids running around in the backyard. Me coming home from a mission and kissing her, telling her how much I've missed her while I was gone. Or better yet, me never having to go on missions at all. I'm sure being the head of the Yukikami clan would earn me a seat on the council. I'd have to be a _jounin_ though... hmm. Well, that can be arranged, if it meant having more time with Yuuna...  
Just then, Yuuna turned around. Her eyes met mine and she smiled. "I wash, you rinse?" I nodded, wondering how long she'd known I was there.

_Kami-sama_, I love this girl.

* * *

_**A/N: Here you have it folks, chapter 24! And in record time might I add! Well, the good news is that chapter 25 should come this fast as well, just need to iron out a few scenes and pimp it up, then get approval ;)  
Kiravu, We love you!**_

_**Also a side note. I usually reply to my reviewers via PM, but Namikaze's review wasn't signed so I couldn't reach him/her (I assume him). Well, I think this chapter cleared up any concerns you might have regarding Naruto's intelligence and ability? I gave everyone a heads up saying that he was to wear that mask, didn't I? :-3 For those who read my profile, you should know that I enjoy hiding all hints between the lines.  
As for Your Hoshi, I'm glad you're enjoying the story :D I love hearing what you guys think, but so far only Red Ranger seems intent on telling me regularly. Which, btw, is currently my favorite Reviewer! Love you girl! **_

___**Usagi - Rabbit  
**__**Kagegaresu - Shadow crow, mostly for those who don't remember it from when Aoba was teaching it to the three.  
**__**Tajuu Kage Bunshin no-jutsu - Multi Shadow Clone jutsu, for those who were unsure.  
**__**Futon: Dan no-jutsu - Wind release: Bullet jutsu, something like what Danzo uses, but then something like what the Tanuki uses too. Something of a mix between the two. Just imagine a bullet getting shot out of the users mouth made of pure air.  
**__**Yare yare - Literally means 'sigh'. Kakashi's version of mendokusei.**_


	25. Arc3: Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - The Countdown**_

_**Teams are being formed, but how will this affect the freshly minted genin? And what are we counting down to? Well, regardless the action is getting kicked up a notch!**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.  
All #Signed# terms are being said in one form of sign language or another.**_

* * *

**~Yuun'a POV~**

Hi-_chan_'s been acting weird these past few days. Naruto-_nii_ as well. Maybe this has to do with Sasuke? I don't know, and no one will tell me anything. That's fine in and of itself, but their tense postures and _Nii-san_ staring at a wall with an intensity that should melt it doesn't comfort me.  
"_Nii-san_, is this about Sasuke?" I decided to just get to the core of the issue if at all possible. I noticed he tensed, but no words left his lips. "Or maybe about Hinata-_chan_?" His eyes. _Kami-sama_, it looks like he's about to cry, but wills himself not to. Sasuke is trying to get Hinata-_chan_ as well as me. That must be it.  
That means _Nee-chan_ knows about it. She'll deal with it. I know she will. So why is everyone so worried? I know! "Hey, _Nii-san_, why don't we go to the store to get some groceries later. Then I'll cook up something nice for you and Hi-_chan_?" With all their nervous energy, Hi-_chan_ and _Nii-san_ managed to clean up the entire district in two days. We've essentially had nothing to do but train every since. Which was nice to be honest.  
I still have to plan that picnic to meet Shikamaru-_kun_ and Chouji-_kun_'s families. But I'll worry about that after I take care of the guys. They can be such worrywarts when they want to be.  
"Thanks, _Imouto-chan_, but I'm not hungry." I didn't just hear that? _Nii-san_'s not hungry? I think the world's about to end!

WAIT! I got it! He's worried about Hinata-_chan_... so why not... Hmm, I need to talk to the _sensei_s and _Hokage-chan_!  
"Don't worry about it. I'll be back soon then okay? I'll take Hi-_chan_ with me so you don't have to worry." I told him. I really didn't want to have to fend off any Sasuke-scenes again. I really don't know why he keeps bothering me. I left my poor Nii-san there, wallowing in his worries... It won't be for long. I promise, _Nii-san_. Yuuna-_chan_ will take care of eeeeeverything!

* * *

It wasn't hard to get the right people in the same place at the same time. People tend to listen when I talk, for some reason. I don't mind, it makes things move smoother.  
"So, Yuuna-_chan_, what seems to be bothering you so?" _Hokage-chan_ asked me.  
"Well, I don't really know all the details, _Hokage-chan_, but the way I understand it is that Sasuke is pestering Hinata-_chan_ in some way that is bothering Naruto-_nii_ and Hi-_chan_." I explained simply. Hi-_chan_'s eyes went wide, obviously not expecting me to know that. "I know that _Nee-chan_ is already doing something about that, so that will work itself out, but _Nii-san_ and Hi-_chan_ need to get away for a bit. And since we finished our mission a full week early..."  
"You think that joining Team 9 on their training mission will help relieve the stress." _Hokage-chan_ finished for me.  
"Exactly!" I smiled broadly. He really does know me so well.

He was stroking his goatee... he's thinking about risks vs rewards – at least that's what I think he's thinking. Who knows what these super smart people think half the time. "I see no problem with that. What do you think?" He turned to the _senseis_. One of the reason I asked them to tag along for this little chat.  
"Well, I see no real difference either way. Yuuna-_chan_'s been helping me get Shikamaru and Chouji into shape. A change of location won't help or hurt that." Asuma-_sensei_ said. Actually I've kinda been bugging _sensei_ to get into shape himself. Sure I tend to do that by whacking him a few times during a spar, but he gets the point on a subconscious level. I think.  
"Well, I'd have to mostly agree with Asuma. A change of location won't help or hinder my team. Although I think Ino could use some time away from Konoha right now." Kakashi-_sensei_ explained.  
"Why is something up with Ino-_chan_?" I asked, worry already evident in my tone.  
"Nothing worth worrying about. She just seems down lately. Maybe a change of scenery will do her some good." Came the explanation. Hmm, that is probably because of Sakura. Those two were always close. Too close in my opinion. I usually felt a bit weird going to the _sentou_ with them for some reason. Nothing bad... just weird. I can't really explain it beyond that.  
"So can we?" I pleaded, giving him the puppy eyes. "Pleeeeeeeeez."  
"I've lived through three great wars, stared death in the eyes daily and faced my fair share of _shinobi_ on the battlefield... Yet somehow the eyes get me every time." He sighed dramatically.  
"Thank you, _oji-chan_." I hugged him, and kissed him on the forehead. Already rushing to the door to pack.  
"Yuuna-_chan_. Think you can get word to the two teams to meet by the gate in two hours?" Asuma-_sensei_ was smiling ear to ear.  
"_Haaaai_!"

* * *

Hi-_chan_ made sure to send a crow ahead to give _Nee-san_ the heads up about us coming. I don't blame him, she's not one for surprises. In fact, I think she stabbed our last surprise before it even came to life. And it was a party!  
How someone manages to cancel their own surprise birthday party is something I'll never understand. Anyway, everyone was ready and waiting at the appointed time. We were just waiting for Kakashi-_sensei_. Is he always late? I hope not. I really wanted to get to wherever we're going before the sun sets, and we have about two hours before that happens.  
"Jeez, old lazy strikes again." _Nii-san_ laughed at Hi-_chan_'s complaint. Oh boy, it sounds like a regular thing. "Just wait here, I know where to find him." Hi-_chan_ winked at me, and was gone in the blink of an eye. No seriously. He winked, I blinked... then no sign of Hi-_chan_. That boy's getting fast!  
"_Sugoi_! Hi-_chan_ is getting fast!" I gushed. I could already see _Nii-san_ rolling his eyes, trying his best not to say something.  
"You really like him, don't you?" Ino-_chan_ wondered. We she was facing away from the group, so that no one would read her lips.  
I blushed. "no... i used to like him... i love him." I spoke as loud as I dared, but even then I knew it was barely above a whisper.  
Ino blushed a bit too. "how do you know?" She spoke just as softly, hoping to keep the conversation as private as possible – given that we live in a _shinobi_ village, complete privacy will never exist.  
"you never really know... it's just this feeling bubbling up inside you... but this isn't the high you get from the butterflies, or the walking on the clouds feeling... no this is deeper... it's like i can feel him." I explained as best I could. It's hard to explain what the sun feels like when it shines on your skin. You just know.  
Ino blushed a little deeper. She must be sorting out her own feelings for someone – I wonder who that could be. "how can you be sure what you feel?" Well that's kind of vague...  
"because that special person will be enough." I smiled, thinking about the look on Hi-_chan_'s face a few days ago when I caught him staring at me – I was busy washing the dishes at the time, he kinda just snuck into the house and was staring at me for a while. It wasn't a look that made me blush, or nervous. No, it was a look that makes me glow. I saw the love in his eyes, even as the worries weighed him down.  
"huh...?" Okay... how best to explain that then?  
"how do you feel when you look at him? is it sad, happy, energized? when I look at hi-_chan_, I just feel calm... no matter how bad the storm gets, he's at the center waiting for me, protecting me..."  
That seemed to strike a chord within her: she blushed a little deeper. "even when you fight?"  
"always." I said. "always..."

* * *

Somehow we managed to arrive at Team 9's camp just as the sun was setting. Hi-_chan_ already knew the way, so that saved a lot of time. Though to be honest, the first thing I noticed when we arrived was the look in _Nii-san_'s eyes. His eyes were so lost since we moved into Kikyo Castle... but he found something...  
I follow his gaze, finding Hinata-_chan_ tending to a pot on the campfire. She seemed preoccupied, and not just with what she was doing. Looking back at _Nii-san_... I think he can tell and he feels guilty about that. Oh no, those two are worrying about each other! I don't know how I know, I just know.  
I have to do something to help them. Poor _Nii-san_ hasn't eaten in days – he's starting to look malnourished. And from the looks of it, Hinata-_chan_ isn't far behind him.  
Hi-_chan_ walked right up to _Nee-chan_ and pulled her aside. Not sure what he has to say that's so important, or so private, but it's not entirely out of character for him. Those two are always whispering things to each other.  
Well, I think I should do something about the two lovesick puppies, ne?

I walked up to Hinata-_chan_, sitting beside her. "How's dinner coming?" I asked.  
She almost jumped out of her skin, obviously she was just in her own world. "y-y-yuuna-ch-chan..." Poor thing didn't even hear me coming.  
"Hiya!" I beamed. I took the spoon out of her hand and stirred the stew she had going. I smelled potatoes, carrots, I think that's hare meat (Nee-san would never allow someone to harm a rabbit)... could be deer too. Ooh, and that is mint! Yummy! There were also a few other leaves in there I couldn't identify, but it didn't matter too much. There was enough for the whole group, so that wouldn't be a problem either. "Deer stew?"  
"_Iie_. K-kiba-_kun_ found some h-hares, and w-w-we have some f-fish as well." She managed. I just smiled at her and stirred a little more.  
"i kinda have a favor to ask." I said, making sure no one else would hear us. Well, _Nii-san_ at least. I'm sure _Nee-chan_ can hear everything I'm saying. She might even be checking my heartbeat just to be sure. "can you help me keep an eye on him to make sure he eats properly? _nii-san_ hasn't eaten anything in days, something's bothering him..."  
Her eyes widened, like they were going to fall out of her head. Then they softened, tears collecting in the corners. She nodded, clearly making up her mind about something. I smiled, thanking her wordlessly and dashed off to stir up the camp a bit – it wasn't lively enough for my tastes.

"Ki-ba-_kuuuuun_ have you been taking care of my _Nee-chan_?" I asked, successfully sneaking up on the boy-dog duo.  
"Yuuna! Are you trying to give me a heart attack!" Kiba groused.  
"Well, have you?"  
"Of course! Between trainings of course." He shrugged. No one can protect you from Aoba-_sensei_ in training mode!  
"Fair enough! I'd better not hear about any hanky-panky though!" I winked at him, giggling at the sputtering reply.  
"Oooi, Yuuna-_chan_! It's been way too quiet without you!" Aoba-_sensei_ greeted me.  
"I can tell, there aren't even any party hats here!" I laughed, deciding to grab a few really large leaves and got to work. "We're having a party tonight!" I announced, laughing at Kakashi-_sensei_ and Asuma-_sensei_. Neither was used to me as yet, but time reveals many things, ne? "Does anyone know the words to Kumbaya?" What's a campfire without a guitar and some campfire songs? Well, I know _Nee-san_ has her flute... that'll have to do.

* * *

"_Itatakimasu_!" We all chorused, digging into the stew.  
"_Sugoi_! Hinata-_chan_ this is yummy!" I announced, and everyone agreed with me. "You've so gotta teach me to make this!" I giggled when Hi-_chan_ nodded a little too enthusiastically. That boy could eat you out of house and home if you're not careful. It'd probably be cheaper to clothe him.  
Everyone was enjoying their meal... but _Nii-san_. He was just staring at his bowl like it was going to just up and eat him instead. "_Nii-san_, don't you want to taste Hinata-_chan_'s stew?" Loaded questions 101, never argue with a female. "It's really good."  
"i'm not hungry." He groused, looking away.  
"So you think her stew's not good enough?" I noticed Hinata-_chan_ staring off into the distance too, obviously trying to her reaction. "_Nii-san_, you're hurting her feelings! She thinks her stew isn't good enough for you! Do you really want her to be upset because you're not hungry?" That hit him. He stole a glance at Hinata-_chan_, noticing her doing the same to him.  
He mumbled something and sipped some of the stew. It's kinda hard to eat stew with chopsticks, but he'll manage. Just think of it like _ramen_ :D  
"Wow, this is..." He sipped at the stew again, his stomach growling for more. "Heh heh, uh... this is good, Hinata-_chan_." Both of them blushed, but I was smiling like I won the lottery. Never underestimate the power of a girl that wants something done. We never give up till we get it!  
In seconds his bowl was empty, and Hinata-_chan_ took it to fill it again. He didn't have the heart to tell her no – which is exactly what I wanted. "Hinata-_chan_, don't you want some too?" I asked her, nodding at her still full bowl. She blushed, sipping some to not be obvious.

It took a while, but I bugged Hinata-_chan_ until she finished the whole thing. I didn't complain when she stopped to refill Naruto's bowl though – I was doing the same thing for Hi-_chan_ too. "_Nii-san_, aren't you going to offer her a refill? She's been serving you all night!" I pointed out, knowing exactly how that would play out. He wouldn't want to make Hinata-_chan_ feel unappreciated, and she'd sooner chew on stones than turn him down.  
I felt proud of myself, having successfully gotten both of them to eat twice what they normally would. And judging from the _jounins_' reactions, I suspect they were happy about that too. I think I'll start bugging Ino-_chan_ tomorrow, because she barely finished one bowl – offering the rest to Akamaru.  
Still, helping two people in one night is good enough. Especially those two. I need to talk to _Nee-san_ about what I can do to help her with them.

"Hinata-_chan_, it's time for our training." _Nee-san_ annouced, smiling at me for some reason. Ooh, she must be happy with how I got Hinata-_chan_ and Naruto to eat :D Yay me!  
Hinata-_chan_ just nodded, patting her belly a bit before trying – and failing – to stand up. I immediately nudged _Nii-san_ to go give her a hand. I smiled when Hinata-_chan_ blushed, but couldn't refuse him. I smiled a lot wider when she fell forward into his arms. Their eyes met, their noses were rubbing against each other.  
A kiss under the stars... _kawaiiiiiiiii_! Maybe I should go bug Hi-_chan_ a bit, I certainly wouldn't complain if he did that to me!  
_Mou_! I blushed. I wonder if that's why Hinata-_chan_ blushes so much around Naruto-_nii_... probably, but that's just what makes them such a cute couple!  
I went and dragged Hi-_chan_ away from the crowd, hoping for a little... alone time. Hopefully he won't leave hickey this time, but I don't complain too much when he does :-3

* * *

The next morning I was on breakfast duty. I don't mind, besides I love cooking! I noticed everyone was staring at a certain spot on my neck. Yup, Hi-_chan_ struck again. Hi-_chan_ was in charge of lunch, but I already traded with him so he was in charge of getting the stuff I needed to cook.  
Hi-_chan_ can eat like there's no tomorrow, but he cooks like he doesn't plan on seeing it. I'm not sure what that oozing monster was the last time he tried, but it wasn't any form of rice I recognize.  
I noticed Hinata-_chan_ and _Nii-san_ were a lot more lively this morning. I smiled, hoping that my little plan was the cause. Well, truth be told I wouldn't care if it wasn't so long as they were happy – and preferably together. "Good morning!" I greeted everyone in turn, smiling brighter than the sun.  
Their reactions were all the same. One look at my neck, a smile, shaking their heads and saying good morning back to me the walking off still shaking their heads.  
I did notice that Kakashi-sensei was reading a small orange book, looking at me with what I could only identify as a quirky curiosity. What is in that book? Doesn't matter, so long as he thinks it's funny – I assume he does, because he keeps giggling while he's reading.  
Well, my food might not compare to Hinata-chan's, but a traditional – and practical – riceball, pickles and fish are just the ticket to start a day right. I made sure to make more than strictly needed, and went out of my way to bug Naru-Hina until they both ate enough – in my opinion, not theirs.

Well after the dishes were washed and put away, it was time to get down to some serious training. I suggested to the _senseis_ that it would be wisest for the girls to train together, with Aoba-_sensei_ watching us and the boys to train separately. They didn't have any real reason why it wouldn't work, and they suspected I had my reasons – which I do.  
So Ino-_chan_, Hinata-_chan_, _Nee-san_ and me went with Aoba-_sensei_ down to to river to train. Aoba-_sensei_ tossed me the scroll of a new _Katon jutsu_ – the Hell's Rain _jutsu_, I really like the sound of that. And I noticed _Nee-san_ was running Hinata-_chan_ through the basics of _Suiton_!  
"_Sugoi_! Hinata's a _Suiton_ user too?" I smiled, knowing that she would learn so much from _Nee-san_.  
"_Hai_, she's a quick study too." _Nee-san_ praised, causing Hinata-_chan_ to blush.  
"Wait a minute, how-" Ino-_chan_ was obviously not used to the idea.  
"She's already passed tree climbing and water walking, so we bumped her up to elemental manipulation." Aoba-_sensei_ announced. Jeez, they've only been here for four days! "She's a natural at _chakra_ control, so it comes pretty easy for her." Hinata blushed a little deeper at all the praise.  
"That's soo cool! But... I hope you didn't do the same water walking we went through!" I blanched, thinking about that 'lobster training' exercise.  
"Yup. She only fell in five times." _Nee-san_ smiled like the Yukikami she is. I shivered, offering a sympathetic smile to the poor girl.  
"I feel your pain." I said, earning a smile from Aoba-_sensei_ and _Nee-san_, but a confused look from Ino.  
"What am I missing?" She asked, unsure she really wanted to hear the answer.  
"Well, you dig a hole, fill it with water then heat it up to about sixty or seventy degrees centigrade. Then you try to walk on it without falling in." I explained. "It's not the most comfortable way to train, but it's effective."  
Well, she was right... she didn't want to know. "Don't worry, you won't be doing that today." Aoba-_sensei_ placated. "Today is tree climbing for you. Depending on how well you do, I can suggest that training to Asuma-_san_ for tomorrow."  
Ino-chan looked like she was about to run for cover. "Yay?"  
"Anyway, I'll give you girls three hours. After that it's _taijutsu_, then a game of blind-man's tag, and no _jutsus_ this time, it isn't fair to Ino."  
"Aww come on! Marco-Polo is the most fun when you have no idea what _Nee-san_'s got up her sleeve!" I groused. Ino really started looking like a fish out of water now. What has she been doing to train then? Arranging flowers?

* * *

Well, that was rather uneventful. I'm nowhere close to using that new _jutsu_, but I bet it'll make _Nee-chan_'s mouth water when she sees me use it. She might be more a _Suiton_ user, but I can tell she likes learning a good _Katon_ from time to time.  
"Alright, time for _taijutsu_." Aoba-_sensei_ announced. I already knew it was about that time, because he told Ino-_chan_ to take a rest like ten minutes ago. The poor thing was doing okay with the tree walking, but her _chakra_ reserves were... well, she needed to work on that.  
"Okay, Hinata-_chan_, I want you and Ino to spar first." He instructed. This was going to get ugly, fast. Sure Hinata-_chan_ wouldn't hurt too badly, but I doubt Hinata-_chan_ would even realize how much training with Aoba-_sensei_ and _Nee-san_ affects your abilities.  
Hinata-_chan_ and Ino-_chan_ stood ready, waiting for some sort of sign to start. Hinata-_chan_ wasn't even in her family's _Jyuuken_ stance, but a modified stance that I had seen _Nee-chan_ use on occasion. It was an odd combination of kickboxing and some animal based kung fu.  
Basically you start in the same kickboxing stance, but you don't ball your fists all the way. Ever tried balling your fist one step at a time? Start by curling your fingers, so that the tips of your fingers are against that soft pad thing at the top of your palm. Then place the your thumb against the side of your index finger's tip. That is how she's holding her hands right now.  
_Nee-chan_ and _Hi-chan_ call it the Rabbit's Palm. A secret style used only by the Yukikami, it would seem. Apparently _Nee-san_'s been training Hinata-_chan_ in a lot of things... things they won't even teach me. Not sure how I feel about that.  
Once they started, it became more apparent that Hinata-_chan_ wasn't very good at the new stance. She was walking, and I never remember _Nee-san_ or Hi-_chan_ walking, they would hop around if they needed to move.

It's a weird style to see and even weirder to face, but it works well once mastered. Ino threw a punch at Hinata's gut, bad move...  
Hinata countered by launching her right knee at the left handed punch, knocking the girl's hand off it's trajectory. A very painful way to miss. Then came the counter attack... mid swing, Hinata's leg extended and the tip of her sandal clipped Ino's Adam's apple.  
The combined inertia of the two hits sent Ino-_chan_ into a barrel roll, landing on her side. She started getting up, already coughing to breathe. Ino was shocked, but not more than Hinata-_chan_, who was nearly in tears.  
"I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" She didn't even stutter, she was that rattled!  
"What was *cough* that?" Ino asked. Not just winded, but actually finding it difficult to breathe properly at all. _Nee-san_ walked over to the girl, and tapped her on her neck. A loud-ish click wwas heard, and Ino-chan actually screamed.  
"aaaoooOOOOWWWW! WHAT WAS **THAT** FOR?" Ino was not a happy camper.  
"Well, if I didn't do that, your throat would swell and make it even harder to breathe. You might want to avoid her attacks." _Nee-san_ explained, chuckling at her own words. Leave it to a Yukikami to find humor in there somewhere. "Hinata-_chan_, good job, but please be careful when fighting anyone but me. Most people won't know how to react to this style."  
"_G-g-go-go-_... … _gomen_..."  
"Hinata-_chan_, none of that. You reacted as you were taught to react. Do no feel bad for that." Here _Nee-san_ turned to Ino. "It is actually a sign that Ino needs to train harder to keep up. Certainly her team will need her to be at her best at all times, _ne_?"  
Said Yamanaka nodded, suddenly realizing something. She got into the academy _taijutsu_ stance once again, this time much more wary of her opponent. Hinata never once attacked, that was not what the Rabbit Palm was about, it was a counterattack style. Ino was just smarter about attacking now.  
She would throw a single punch, or kick, check the reaction and back off if Hinata-_chan_ got too close. It sucked for Ino-_chan_, because as open as the stance was, there were very few actual weak points to it.  
Well, let's just say that Ino got her behind handed to her – as Hi-_chan_ would put it.

After that, it was _Nee-chan_ and Hinata-_chan_'s turn to spar. They both assumed the same stance... This is going to be epic!  
_Nee-chan_ started the match by jumping at Hinata, closing the gap in a single hop. Right knee and both hands extended and her feet curled against her behind. _Nee-chan_ swiped at Hina with her left knee, twirling around obviously preparing the next attack.  
Hina ducked back – actually bending over backwards, balling her left fist completely and balancing on said fist. Then she launched both knees at her opponent and flicked out her foot like they were part of a switch blade.  
Somehow the attack missed. Don't ask me, but _Nee-chan_ did some mid air twist, magically maneuvering herself between the two strikes. What was worse is that she placed her foot flat against Hina's spine and moved her a good five meters with a single shove.  
Hina landed on her feet, though I can't say from who's skill. Before Hina could even catch her bearings, _Nee-chan_ hopped at her again. This time her left knee was leading.  
Hina rolled to her left, trying to step outside the attack radius. She was still rewarded with another shove – just not as far this time. Hina actually skidded for a meter, managing to not fall. Wow! She must be used to this kind of sparring! I would have fallen for sure...  
This time Hinata was on the attack, dashing forward at _Nee-chan_. There was a flurry of blows being exchanged. I'm not sure who took which one though. All I can say for sure is that there was another shove, and Hina flow right at Aoba-_sensei_.  
Hina twisted mid air, folding in on herself, then shot a burst of _chakra_ around her. Somehow that acted as a parachute of sorts, slowing her down. She landed on her fists, and started walking to _Nee-chan_ like that? Okay... Why would Hina want to learn to walk on your fists? Why would _Nee-chan_ teach her that?  
Well, at any rate, the last leg of the distance was closed when Hina jumped (?) knees first at Nee-chan. There were kicks, knees, elbows, punches... jeez those two are nuts! That is the most up close and personal fighting I've ever seen!  
After a while I really couldn't even tell who was throwing the blow, just that it was always deflected and counterattacked, which was then deflected and counterattacked. It just went on and on.  
I'm pretty sure that most people would just see a blur of movement. Not that I'm much better off right now, I can barely tell who's who!

"Alright break!" Aoba announced after heaven only knows how much time. Both girls were smiling at each other, but Hina's smile was a bit more worn down. She was panting. _Nee-san_, looked like she was just stretching for nice morning jog! Jeez, scary!  
"Yuuna, I want you and Tatsuko to spar this time." Oh poopie! I really don't like sparring against _Nee-chan_. Trying to hit her is like trying to catch water with a fishing net! Or raking leaves on a windy day. Or telling _Nii-san_ to give up on _ramen_...

* * *

Time for a game of tag and I'm it. _Nee-chan_ put on my blindfold herself, so you know I couldn't see even if I tried. The point of this training is to completely negate your eyes and use your other sense. Strangely, when you completely shut off your sense of sight, your other senses become so much more acute.  
I remember _Nee-chan_ saying that your eyes take up more than thirty percent of your subconscious concentration, which is why most people will close their eyes when they're thinking really hard. Well, she does at least.  
The thing about being an Uzumaki is that our sense of smell rivals the Inuzuka clan's. I can smell cinnamon buns over to one side... that must be Hinata-_chan_. Umm, flowers in a field over there... that must be Ino-_chan_. And a rabbit, that's _Nee-san_. Aoba-_sensei_ isn't playing, he's the one making sure we don't hurt ourselves by accident. And since we all have blindfolds on, it wouldn't be hard to do – theoretically at least.  
Alright, now to get a good feel of my surroundings. It sucks if you're running after the right one, then run right into a tree. Hmm, there's a bush right behind me. Ooh, are those blueberries? I have to remember that!  
Tree, tree. I can hear the wind rustling through the leaves. The river's that way, over to my right and slightly behind me.  
Alright, that's everything I can sense that's important for now. I think I better give Ino-_chan_ a chance to get used to this, so I'll go after _Nee-chan_ first.  
Let's see, _Nee-chan_ was over this way... she's always the sneakiest one in the bunch. So I'll have to be alert.  
I snuck over in the direction I smelled her, keeping my ears peeled for any noise she might make. Even without enhancements, _Nee-chan_ knew how to move quietly. Still, she can't cover her scent without the aid of a _jutsu_ – which _sensei_ says she can't use. So I stand a chance at catching her.  
Umm, this way. I felt around, trying to catch any part of her. All I have to do is touch her... which isn't the easiest thing to do to someone who can hear a pin drop fifty meters away! But the challenge of it is the most fun!  
Maybe she went this way? **Sniff sniff**, nope this way.

* * *

"Dinner tiiiiiime." Ino droned, dead on her feet. She was barely able to keep up with us at all, and she looks like she's been run over by a truck. Truth be told, Hinata-_chan_ looks a bit run down too. But in much better shape than Ino-_chan_!  
"You know, Ino-_chan_, you really need to eat more! With the high levels of activity, you will need the extra calories!" I pointed out, finally seeing the opportunity to get on her case. I had been waiting on it all day!  
"but i'll get..." She looked at Chouji, shivering at some stupid thought she was having.  
"Chouji needs those extra pounds for his clan's _taijutsu_. You need extra food to not starve." _Nee-chan_ clarified.  
Anyway, long story short, we got on the emaciated blonde's case about her stupid 'diet' that would only get her – and likely her team as well – killed in the long run. A diet getting you killed, talk about irony. Or maybe the first three letters are the dangerous part? DIEt... could be a clue.  
I'm sure I'm going to have to keep bugging for for some time to come...

It was Kiba-_kun_'s turn to cook. He went for the basic fish and roasted potato routine that every camper has had to suffer through at least once. Well, once per day if he had to cook regularly.  
Once dinner was over, _Nee-chan_ once again dragged Hinata-_chan_ away from the group to go practice something. I was starting to get curious what she was teaching Hinata-_chan_... but it really was none of my business.  
"Hi-_chan_, wanna thumb wrestle?" When in doubt, pester your other half, right?  
"Nah, I actually wanted to go spar with 'Ruto." He smiled, earning a confused look from _Nii-san_.  
"No you don't, you just wanna tease me, Hi-hi!" I smacked him on the shoulder. He seems to like me doing that.  
"Feel better?" He was just playing me? I pouted, smacking him again. He just kissed me on the cheek and tickled both my sides.  
"WAAHHH!" I shouted, a bit high pitched. "Hi-_chan_!" I tried smacking him again, which he side stepped and just poked my side, earning another half laugh, half shriek.  
"Wow, you really are a screamer." Hi-_chan_ whispered in my ear.  
"Okay, whoa!" I swung at him again. This time stepping towards him to make sure he couldn't get away. "You wouldn't know." He deflected my hands.  
"Not yet, but I will some day." He had that perverted smile on his face.  
"_Ecchi_." I tried to swinging at him again. He just grabbed my wrists and kissed me, right in front of everyone! I couldn't decide if I was blushing from embarrassment or... something else...  
"_Ecchi_ I may be, but I'm still yours." He whispered in my ear. Feeling his breath kissing my skin at around my ear and on my neck... I'm certain I'm not blushing from embarrassment this time...  
And that warm feeling in the pit of my belly isn't helping much either...  
Wait... it's a bit lower...

* * *

"No, Hi-_chan_, I really needed to talk to you." I explained after we were all alone. "Something's up with _Nee-chan_."  
"Yeah, like what?" He was still kissing my neck, trying to entice me to play along.  
"She taught Hinata-_chan_ the Rabbit Palm." He stopped dead in his tracks.  
"She... what...?" He still had his lips against my neck, so that tickled a bit.  
"She was even sparring using the Rabbit Palm in front of Aoba-_sensei_, Ino and me." I explained. He back off, clearly the mood was dead. Something's wrong. The look in his eyes confirmed it.  
"The last time she used that that style was..." His eyes... he's about five seconds from freaking out as far as I can tell. "She's been teaching Hinata to use her flute as well..."  
"But why would she be teaching Hinata-_chan_ the secrets of both the Senju and the Yukikami? Doesn't Hinata-chan have the Hyuuga's secret techniques already?" Hi-chan has a haunted look about him.  
"Could it be...?" Is that a tear? Hi-_chan_'s crying?  
"Hi... _chan_... what is it? What's wrong? What's going on?" The last time he cried was just as we got back to the Yukikami compound after the massacre. That was the only time he ever she a tear that I know of. And only _Nee-chan_ knows him better than me.  
"Tsu... you wouldn't..." No one has called Nee-chan 'Tsu' in years... no one's dared to. I think she even broke a _chuunin_'s arm for calling her that by mistake. She'd always just say that 'Tsu' is dead. It's freaky if you ask me. Freaky and... spooky. Hearing someone refer to oneself as dead...  
"Hi-_chan_... you're scaring me." My voice was wavering. Really, Hi-_chan_ is the bravest person I know, so if something scares him then it's pretty... well... scary!  
He shook his head, smiled his smile and just told me not to worry. "I'll handle it." He said, but there is doubt in his eyes.

What could possibly be going on? I don't know. But I know I don't like it.

* * *

That night I cuddled into my sheets. Tossing and turning, trying as hard as I could to be wrapped in sleep's sweet embrace... but I was utterly failing.  
The look on Hi-chan's face, his tone of voice... the tears he was refusing to shed... I just know something's wrong. Wrong on a cosmic scale. Whatever it is, I just know that I'm not going to like it.  
It's been bugging me so much that I never got around to finishing those hats, or reminding anyone about the camp songs before we called it a night. Aoba-_sensei_ was actually so freaked out that he checked my temperature before letting me crawl into bed.  
I think that Shikamaru is more than a little worried too, since I didn't even fluff his hair once since the spar with _Nee-chan_. I've always been the bubbly one, I bring life to any gathering I find myself in, but right now... I feel like the walls are closing in on me.  
How did that guy put it... don't let the sun go down on me? I finally understand what he means, because I can feel my whole world being put on hold by someone. Permanently on hold, if the uneasy feeling in my gut was anything to go by.  
What was happening with _Nee-chan_? She wouldn't forget how much I need her, would she? I mean sure, I am learning to get by on my own, more or less... but I still need to know my _Nee-chan_ is right there just in case.  
No, my left side won't work tonight, maybe my right? I wonder if _Nee-chan_ remembers how I clung to her when I moved in with her and her family. A family that I quickly became part of. Even with the others treating me unkindly, I didn't care. _Nee-chan_ was there to protect me. She would just say that they are like that to everyone and would teach me how to deal with it.  
She taught me a lot really, more than she could know. Even after figuring out that she has a thing for Kiba, she continued to teach me things. Like how to win a boy's heart. She started bringing too much food to class, making sure to sit close enough for him or Akamaru to smell it. One of them would come over and the other would always follow. She would smile and ask if they wanted some, because she brought way too much with her.  
That was just a few weeks after we entered Iruka-sensei's class. If something happens to _Nee-chan_, I'm sure it would kill Kiba-_kun_. Akamaru too!  
_Nee-chan_... Don't you see how badly we need you, how much we love you? I've gotta think of a way to show her, to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt... that we can't live without her... it's time for me to be her hero, for me to save her from whatever it is that is troubling her...

With that thought cemented into my mind, I lay on my back waiting for sleep to claim me.

* * *

"What are you doing?" I could hear Hi-_chan_'s voice. He's not even trying to keep quiet.  
"What? Can't I admire the sunrise?" _Nee-chan_? Admiring the sunrise? Actually, that doesn't sound so bad.  
"I was meant with Hinata. First _Ototon_, then I hear you're teaching the Rabbit Palm?" He's not angry, or curious. He's... I don't know... something.  
"Is there something-" _Nee-chan_ never got a chance to finish.  
"You refused to teach Yuuna _Ototon_ because it was a Senju secret. You refuse to even **use** _taijutsu_ because it reminds you of _Tou-san_. And now you're teaching both to someone that can legally take your place. Who the fuck do you think you're trying to kid?"  
"Yukikami Hi-"  
"Shove it Tsu! You don't have sway over my tongue with you plotting suicide right under my nose!" what...? no... no... NO! I can't lose her!  
"What makes you-"  
"I follow orders, but I have brain too. You taught me well to question everything and make up my own mind. Now tell me I'm wrong! Cause there is nothing I'd rather be more wrong about!"  
"Keep your-"  
"FUCK SILENCE TSU!" And yet silence followed. A tense silence. I kept waiting for one or both of them to laugh, then come and tell me they were joking. Or maybe that this weird dream would just end. "Now answer me. Is that what you are planning?" Tears were streaming down my face. It's not just the thought of losing _Nee-chan_... but hearing those two fighting? They've never once fought in all the time I've known them. Ever.  
"I don't know-"  
"You're a poor liar. No matter what you think. How long have you been thinking about this?" Silence again.  
"MONTHS!" Well at least I don't have to worry about missing anything. Though I honestly don't know how much more I can stand to hear. "You've been planning your own death for months and never once have you considered what that would do to Naruto? To Yuuna? To Hinata? Yukie, Gan and the guys? … TO ME!" Something was struck. Hard. A tree I think, since the sound of a tree falling and hitting the ground followed.  
I... I... _Nee-chan_...

I cried. I just lay in my tent, hugging myself... crying. How could _Nee-chan_ think about leaving us.

"Who's supposed to pick up the pieces then, huh? Me, right? Me and Naruto are supposed to hold our own against the world while you go chickenshit on your family! IS THAT IT?"  
Something was being mumbled. "No you do not know how I feel. So stop telling yourself lies to make it easier. And you sure as hell don't know how the others feel either!"  
"NO. I. WILL. **NOT!** CALM. THE. **FUCK!** **DOWN!**"  
"No I remember **exactly** how _Tou-san_ died! I WAS THERE TSU! I know your hands were used, but that was not you! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR SKULL! FUGAKU KILLED HIM USING YOU!"  
"No, Tsu, you listen! You don't remember jack shit about that day because you rewrote your own fucking memories so often. I was there, in a tree watching. I saw the three _tomoe_ in your eyes, I saw the moves you never learned being used. You did not kill him, and he knew that! He told you that!"  
"No YOU WILL HEAR THIS! _Tou-san_ told you with his dying breath that he would never be mad at you, that he loves you! So don't go using him as your easy way out!"  
"**I** DON'T UNDERSTAND? Oh that's rich." Why am I only hearing Hi-chan? Why isn't _Nee-chan_ telling him that she was joking?  
"Look, fuck you! You think I'm just going give on you? You think I'm just going to walk away and make it easy for you?" There was a clicking sound. "Oh, no. I'm going to fight you tooth and nail. I'll figure out a way to make you see how badly we need you! how badly i need you."  
That was it... that was all I could take. I held out longer than I thought I could, but hearing that tone on Hi-_chan_... I broke down. I knew they would hear me crying, but I couldn't keep quiet. No matter how I tried, no matter how hard I fought... sob after sob, hiccup after hiccup...  
"No, my voice just told her your intentions. You go and piece together Yuuna's heart. 'Cause we both know no one else could."

* * *

Life is so cruel. Even with _Nee-chan_ here rubbing my back and scratching my scalp... there is just no meaning in it. Is she thinking about how badly I need her? How much I love her?  
Or is she thinking about being with her Tou-chan again? I sorta understand how she feels. It's hard being daddy's little girl, when daddy's not there.  
"do you love me, _nee-chan_?" I finally asked after... I don't know... years of silence.  
"Of course I-"  
"No, I mean really love me. The way I love Hi-_chan_. The way I love _Nii-san_." I said. Sure the tears stopped, the hiccuping stopped. But the pain didn't – I don't think it ever will.  
"What do you mean... exactly?" She sounds exactly like my _Nee-chan_, but somehow I can't imagine my _Nee-chan_ giving up on anything. Let alone giving up on me.  
"Remember when Hi-_chan_ wanted that _kodachi_? I wanted that super rare copy of 'S-class Seals' by Uzumaki Kenji, but he was talking about that blade like it was a wet dream. I came to you and begged for him to get the _kodachi_, sacrificing the book I wanted so bad." I reminded her.  
"Karu felt so bad when he found out that he was willing to give up being head of the Yukikami clan so that I would buy the book for you anyway." She sounded like she was going laugh and cry at the same time. "Did I ever tell you that I caught him trying to break into that store to steal the book just so you could have it?"  
"He told me the next day. Right after I told him that you had bought it before he had the chance." She actually did laugh that time. So did I – the look on Hikaru's face was priceless. Not even a picture would do him justice.  
"I gave up something for him, and he gave up something for me. That's what I mean with love." I sat up, studying _Nee-chan_'s face. "Do you love me like that?"  
"Yes, and much more." She cupped my face, kissing my forehead. She used to do that every night when she tucked me in bed – a habit she picked up just after the Kitsunaga were slaughtered.  
"Then how could you think about leaving me?" The tears were threatening to come back full force, maybe even worse than the first round...  
"You don't understand, _Imouto-chan_. You don't understand because you've never been given the chance to see what it's truly like for us."  
"What do you mean?" I asked her, but she never answered me. She would just hug me closer each time, retreating a little further into her own little world.

She didn't utter another word all day. Or the days that followed. Either she lost her voice, or I was just so completely lost in my own little world that I didn't notice whether she actually did or not...

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is actually a little short (about 3000 words short of the 10K standard now being applied). Still it say everything I want it to say, so to balance things out I am actually going to make the next chapter slightly longer.  
****_As always, lots of Love being showered on Kiravu! Wouldn't know what I'd do with her support and suggestions!_**

_**Yare yare – Sigh. It's Kakashi's version of Mendokusei.  
**__**Itatakimasu – Thanks for the food! It's something of a prayer before eating.  
**__**Sugoi! - Awesome! Cool! Whoa! Some interjection along those lines.**__**Ecchi – Technically it just means the letter 'H' but that then stands for Henai, or pervert. Girls have a tendency to not want to actually want to say the word, seeing it as embarrassing. For example, girls would never actually say they have to pee, but instead say they have to 'go'. Same principal applies.**_

_**"The difference between becomes clear, the second you open your mouth." -Yukikami Tatsuhi.**_


	26. Arc3: If it doesn't kill you

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - The Countdown**_

_**Teams are being formed, but how will this affect the freshly minted genin? And what are we counting down to? Well, regardless the action is getting kicked up a notch!**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.  
**_

* * *

**~Tatsuko's POV~**

Why is it no one understands? I'm tired. That's all there is to it. I'm tired of fighting against the river's current. I'm just tired.  
I'm twelve years old and I've been fighting for my life far longer than I feel comfortable with admitting. That was half the temptation with separating 'Tatsuko' from 'Tsu'.  
Tsu was going to be the strongest _kunoichi_ in the elemental nations. She was going to marry Tsume's son, and they were going to be the strongest partnership ever. It all sounded so good in theory.  
Then reality struck, spearheaded by Uchiha Fugaku. I didn't know you could hate a person that much.

Anyway, not even going down that depressing road right now. I have things to do today. Things like suppressing the memories of those who heard Hikaru and me arguing. Memories can't be completely erased, only pushed aside and covered. So if someone was really interested in finding something out that I suppressed, they can.  
That fact alone is why I didn't completely lose myself in the Uchiha District while imprisoned there. After all, the Divine Inquiry _jutsu_ and the Mind Hack _jutsu_ were both derived from the mind control _jutsus_ that are cast naturally from a fully functioning _Sharingan_. Yeah, Fugaku taught me much more than he bargained for while I was 'under his thumb'.  
By mentally torturing me for those long... LONG six months, I created well over half of my personal _jutsus_. I simply replicated what was being done to me. That eventually led to my creating a counter _jutsu_, which then led to things that would have made those... people (using the term loosely)... to drool over the possibilities.  
But hey, who cares. I'm just a means to an end. That's all I've ever been. A method of getting something done. What other use could I possibly have...?  
"So when were you going to tell me?" Aoba-_sensei_ asked. Great, just what I need, questions.  
Silence was the only answer he'd get.  
"_Imouto-chan_, what's going on with you?" He asked. What's the matter, secrets getting too much for you? "Answer me." I am answering you, don't you get it? There's nothing to say about any of this. There is nothing worth doing. Just be happy I am trying to train Hinata-_chan_ and leave me be.  
He grabbed me by arms and shook me lightly, obviously hoping to get something out of me, anything. With me wearing my shades, he couldn't even be sure if I was awake with how much I was reacting.  
"_Imouto-chan_, answer me." He made to take my shades off. I still didn't budge. "Why are you like this all of a sudden? You were fine just yesterday." Fine? I haven't been fine in years. Can you imagine thinking that the only reason you woke up that morning was because you had a mission to carry out... only to realize the mission was over. Why wake up then? To do what? To be what? To feel what?  
"We already sent an update to _Hokage-sama_. He'll want to talk to you." Not too many straws hanging around to grasp at? "Do you want me to stay with you, or would you rather be alo-... have some privacy?" Does it matter? Verbal blunder or not, I'm not alone. It is in fact impossible for me to be alone. I'm a crowd.  
Anyway, I need to tend to Hinata-chan's training soon. She needs to complete her training soon, and there is way too much to teach. Her mother would want her to learn it... as would mine.

* * *

Finally exiting my tent, I donned a smile and prayed no one wanted to talk about anything. Well, like I said, I was praying. "Senju Tatsuko what is the meaning of this?" Utatane Koharu asked already angered. Only a Haruno can get angered quicker than her. Though I noticed that Mitokado Homura and good ol' Shimura Danzo shared in her sentiment. They just hid it better.  
"Oh look, the Council's very own mummy brigade. Here to ensure that the one I guard stays safe?" I told them plainly. There was no way in hell they'd come here themselves for a cozy little chat.  
"We are here for many reasons, so keep the sass to yourself, child." To think I haven't gone berserk on this bitch yet. Hmm, we need to fix that eventually.  
"Fuck you very much." I told her blandly, walking off. I noticed everyone staring at the scene that I just walked in on. It wasn't very often these three were seen by the public, let alone outside Konoha's barrier walls. "Hinata, it's time. Let's go." I said, showing those three their worth.  
"You dare ig-"  
"Oh great and wise Council of _Konohagakure no sato_, take head of my warning. Should you three push me, I shall squeal like a little piggy all the way home. Would you like that?" Rule number one when dealing with politicians – _shinobi_ or not – always keep a few nasty secrets for a rainy day. And oh look, it's drizzling. "Now, as I said: fuck you very much."  
There was only one person laughing, and only one person would dare to: Saru-_ji-chan_. "I told them not to bother you, but they seem intent on not listening lately." He smiled at them, right before they poofed away revealing them to be _kage bunshins_. I didn't even care to check that, I'm slipping up.  
"Walk with me?" Saru-_ji-chan_ asked already walking away from the crowd. I heaved a sigh that made Shikamaru seem energetic and dragged my feet, not caring if I really caught up or not.

It took us a good ten minutes before we got to a spot he deemed sufficiently private for what he had to say. "Come, sit with me." He said, sitting down on a largish rock near the river. His emotions may have been hidden as well they ever were, but I could smell them anyway. Well, in a sense at least.  
"Great another one who just wants to talk." I intoned, wondering what he could possibly say that hasn't been said a thousand times already.  
"No, not just another one. Me. They sent shadow clones, but I cleared my schedule and came out here myself. Just don't mind the ANBU hanging around." He laughed. I honestly hadn't even been paying attention for them this time. I'm just not in the mood I guess.  
"So what is it? What makes this news so important that you had to come here?" I asked, sitting next to him. "I know you've known about this for quite some time, otherwise you wouldn't have put me on the team you did."  
He chuckled. "Well, that's true. I have suspected you were beyond the point where talking could soothe you anymore." So what's the point of coming here?  
Before I even got the chance to ask, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into a hug. I could smell the smoked tobacco on him – which is not something I was particularly happy with – but still, a hug is a hug... And if there was anything that 'Tatsuko' enjoyed it was a hug.  
"i miss him..." I whimpered, not fighting back the tears. I wouldn't trust anyone else enough to cry in front of them. Still, I did cast a _genjutsu_ to make the ANBU think we were just having a little chat – hopefully there aren't any Hyuuga or Ii clansmen around right now. Or Inuzukas... they can smell the subtleties of emotion on a person.  
"I know, child. I know." He didn't utter another word for a while, just hugged me tighter. It wasn't changing my mind or anything, but it was helping quite a bit for some reason.

"I have a proposition for you." Saru-_ji-chan_ eventually announced. "If you can turn Team 9 into the most efficient _genin_ team in Konoha, I'll retire and be your personal hugging post. But you have to do it within a year."  
"A year, huh?" I had actually estimated I needed three years to get everything done I wanted done. What harm could one little side-wager do to pass the time until then? Hell, I might even be able to use this as motivation for Hinata. "Deal."  
"But if I do retire, I would expect you to take care of me." Wait a min- "And you already agreed, so you can't back out. Now can you, Tsu-_chan_?"  
"Fine, but then you need to announce your successor before I take you seriously." I smirked when his face fell. Tit for tat, as they say.

He can think whatever he wants to, but life isn't as easy as a little trick to change things. But then, he would know that. Probably just trying to give me a long term goal that would give me something new to focus on.  
Either way, I have to 'thank' Hikaru for his blabbing.

* * *

Saru-_ji-chan_ and I walked back to camp, where Aoba-_sensei_ and Kakashi-_sensei_ seemed antsy to hear what happened. I just rolled my eyes and went to kidnap Hinata for that training session that was promised.  
I did my best to ignore the looks I was being given, but it really wasn't my problem what everyone was going on about. It was probably best to just 'fold' that memory away for everyone – the last thing I needed was for everyone to turn Hikaru on me and never leave me out of the sight for a few months.  
"Tsu-_chan_?" Kiba was standing there with Akamaru snoozing away in his jacket. He was tense, worried and probably on the return trip from freaking out. Great. I sighed.  
"If you want to talk, walk with us. I already had this training set back for an hour." I said, walking off with Hinata dragging her heels to try slow me down. Great, they want to gang up on me.  
"Let's go then." Everyone actually gasped at Kiba's words, obviously expecting something different. I made sure to give Hikaru a wilting glare, just so he knew how I felt about this.

"Alright Hina, what are the seals needed for this meditation?" I asked, hoping she still remembered from last night.  
"_Tora_, _Hitsuji_, _Tori_." She recited. Tiger, Ram and Bird, very good. "_T-tora_ should be f-focused in the t-third e-eye, _H-hitsuji_ in the c-center of the p-palms, and _T-tori_ in m-my s-stomach."  
"Good, then get to it. I want you to be able to hover a ball of water by the end of the day." I told her, then cast a privacy _jutsu_ around Kiba and me, to ward off any unwanted eavesdroppers. Which could be counted on like a sunrise.  
"They want me to talk you out of whatever you're planning." Kiba said right off the bat. No wonder he was so willing to not talk around them. And why they reacted the way they did when we actually left.  
"So why tell me about it?" Deception is the _shinobi_ way, so why not just play me like a harmonica? It what everyone was doing anyway.  
"Because I want more than that." He said. I gave him a confused look, not getting what he meant. "They wanted me to ask you on a date, saying that I was the only one that could talk you out of... that. I want to, but not because it's a trick." I blushed, looking away to hold on to what little pride I had left.  
"I like you, Tsu." He said, grabbing my chin with one finger and guiding me back. "I really want... you to like me too, but I refuse to hold you here by dangling something that isn't real in front of you." Then it started again. That logic vs emotions bullshit battle that was left undecided from the last time I was this close to him. And the time before that... you get the picture.  
"So-"  
"Please..." He held my hand, forcing himself to go on despite the obvious blush he was sporting. "this is awkward enough as is." I stilled, while still fighting off a damnable blush of my own. "What I am trying to say, is that I had actually been planning this for some time. I even decided to use the pay from our first few missions."  
"Wha-"  
"Will you go out with me?" Brain functions stopped. "On a date." I feel my mouth working out something, but I can't tell what it is.  
"I know you probably think this is some easy way to get through to you, but I need to know if what I feel is real. And Hana-_nee-san_ said that the only way to know for sure is to try dating." He's rambling. I should be able to figure out why, but I can't. I can't even tell him yes! I can't... physically, incapable.  
Suddenly he looks crestfallen. "But it's okay if you don-"  
"yes." I whispered. Honestly that was more of an over-correction to not deafen him.  
He smiled. Yes, that cocky smile. Suddenly there were butterflies fluttering in my gut. Why do I feel like this? Shouldn't I be doing something... planning something... "Yes, you'll... go?"  
The logical part of me was screeching for me to tell him no, that this wasn't part of the plan. I nodded anyway.  
"I dunno, you don't seem to sure. I mean, we don't have to." Fuck, where's that scared little unsure look he just had? Now all I can see is that confident air about him, a cocky smile and him actually teasing me to fish out more from me!  
"don't push your luck." I smacked him on his shoulder. I can't even talk above a whisper right now.  
He raised an eyebrow, clearly he wanted more of a reaction. "Push my luck? Nah, I just need to know if you feel the same way. What's wrong with that?" There's the smirk version of his cocky smile. Less muscles needed, but just as effective at stealing the air out my lungs.  
"there are better ways to do that." I told him honestly, but the import of what I just said hit me. I wasn't sure if he'd take that as an insult, or worse yet... a come-on.  
"Oh?" Shit, he went with a come-on... He leaned in a little closer. His scent actually jumpkicked the logical side of my brain, a one hit KO. All I had left was 'feeling', and that feeling was overloading my senses. "Like what?" He nose is less than an inch from mine – I can feel the warmth of his breath kissing me.

A feeling my lips were jealously trying get in on.

I gazed into his eyes, studying its features... oh hell, that's bullshit and I know it, I was lost in his eyes. And I think I'd kill anything that found me right now.  
Of its own accord, my body acted. Something that I will eternally be grateful for, because the next thing I knew... our lips met. His lips were dry, and he seemed completely clueless what he was doing. And I thank _Kami-sama_ for that – no one to hunt down for having taken his first kiss.  
Backing up, just to see the reaction in his eyes, I saw something. Something incredible. Something I never want to forget, ever. Not in this life, nor the next.  
His eyes twinkled with an emotion I had only seen dancing about in _Tou-san_'s eyes. An emotion I didn't have a name for, but I knew it well once. "Like that?" Kiba asked. All in all, it was a chaste kiss. Soft and sweet. Perfect to remember as a first kiss.  
But I had to make sure he understood that I was the only one that would ever get that kind of thing. So I knew I had to blow his socks off. "no... like this." I placed my hands on his chest – something I had seen girls do in movies when they were making out – and kissed him again. Only this time... I melted.  
I felt his hands wrap around me, pulling me in closer. He was completely flipping this script on me! I'm not sure if it was the competitive side of me, or just the desire to have this moment last forever... maybe both... but I mustered every ounce of passion pent up over the years and offered it all to him. Every time I admired him during class. Every time I would see him smiling at me since we've become friends. Every time the urge to steal a kiss presented itself.  
All of it. And yet, "mmm..." I'm the one that moaned. Something was welling up in me, begging me to make him moan harder than I did. Too bad he broke the kiss.  
I opened my eyes – when the hell did I even close them? – only to see, well feel really, that he was just changing targets. He was moving left, along my jawline leaving soft kisses in his wake. Soft, featherlight kisses. Suddenly I felt his hand grab mine, our fingers intertwined instinctively.  
"we'll set a date when we get back." He whispered in my ear, getting up to leave almost immediately.

My heart was pounding in my chest, aching for him to stay. My mind was racing a mile a minute trying to figure out a way to get him to stay... to make him stay. "Do you know which element you are?" I asked. Fucking straws.  
"Huh?" He turned to me, clearly confused.  
"Elemental affinity. Do you know which element you are?" He squinted his eyes and shook his head, trying to figure out where that even came in. "We're still on a mission here, and I plan on making the most of it. And since you already did the water walking..."  
"_Sensei_ already tested me, I'm earth." He said, smirking so obviously that he must have known what I was doing. "Why? You want to teach me just to keep me nearby?" Yes.  
"No, I was just trying optimize the effici-"  
"Whenever you use expensive words with me, I know you're lying." He smiled wider this time.  
"Fine. Yes. Just please... stay..." And stay he did. Now if only I could focus on meditating long enough with him so close by...

* * *

I was still pretty quiet for the rest of the mission. Only it wasn't for the reason people expected: I just didn't want people fawning over me like a lost little puppy.  
Still, I had to (try to) calm Yuuna down before she starting having a fit. "_Imouto-chan_, can I talk to you?" I corralled into my tent after lunch, about a week after the 'announcement' – which was the only time I wanted to be anywhere near the camp to avoid those uncomfortable stares. "What did you tell Kiba?"  
"nothing _nee-chan_." She's a bit out of it, and clearly still trying to come up with something. "i did notice that hi-_chan_ pulled him aside when you went to talk to _hokage-chan_." She explained. Just to be sure, _Ototon_ – _shinseina shoukai_!  
The movie played out, Hikaru tugged Kiba away from everyone and I saw a much more subdued look on his face when he got back to the group a few minutes later. She was telling the truth. I ended the _jutsu_ and turned away. "Fine, so why are you so bugged out right now?" I asked her, hoping to get to the heart of the matter and lay it to rest.  
"How can you even ask that _Nee-chan_!" Well, she's not mumbling anymore.  
"Easy." I then slowly sounded out every nuance of the sentence to bug her. "W-AI R U sO b-uh-Gd A-Ut R-AIt N-Au-W...?"  
"Not funny." She huffed, crossing her arms.  
"_Imouto-chan_, if this is about me and Hikaru having an argument then you really got the wrong picture." I said.  
"_Nee-chan_, you can try to play me off as the dumb blonde all you want, but I know better and so do you." She announced, obviously thinking she was right.  
"No, you don't. You think you know, but you don't have half a clue." She cocked her head to one side, squinting her eyes as if to focus on something that is a bit fuzzy. "I am not looking for sympathy or understanding, but don't waste my time thinking you've got any part of me figured out. You, just like everyone else only see what I show you – what I want you to see."  
Her eyes bugging out was her only response. "Hikaru sees me as violent, damn near psychotic, you see me as the incarnation of goodness, Naruto sees a guardian angel, Aoba sees the perfect student, Hiruzen sees a lost little girl... why do those that should know me best, all have a completely different picture?" Because no one is supposed to know who I really am. No one is close enough to me any more, therefore no one knows.  
"Who are you then? Tell me what we're all missing of the picture?" Her voice was heavily laden with so many different emotions at once. She's torn at not knowing who I am...  
"Stop trying to study the glass that water has found itself in." I philosophized. "Because the water will look completely different in another glass." She just looked at me, lost. "Nevermind." I got up, ready to leave.  
"_Nee-chan_, if I were smarter, would you stay with me?"  
"Would you be more upset if I died at my own hands, or at the hands of someone else?" I shot back. "You know that death is the only constant. I can't protect you from that."

Harsh? Yes. Now someone try tell me I'm wrong...

* * *

A few weeks passed by. Yes, weeks. Kiba and I still haven't gone on that promised date, but we were both too tired to do it yet. _Kuso_! I sound like a dog in heat putting it that way! Umm...  
The second we got back, Aoba-_sensei_ kicked our training into overdrive – with no reason other than that he could. Any other team would have burnt out already, but we were lapping it up. No days off to rest, no lame excuses like bruises or broken bones. Nothing. Seven days a week for three weeks straight. I loved it!  
We were also clearing four D-class missions a day in addition to our training. His tactic was obviously making me way too tired to focus on anything – and I thank him everyday for it. I honestly haven't even properly picked out a room yet, and the guys are not complaining to make me work any faster.  
I could go on like this forever if I had to. It was almost familiar – reminiscent of training with _Tou-chan_. Still, all good things come to an end. "Senju-_sama_, Hiasha-_sama_ wishes to speak with you at your earliest convenience." Kou announced as he was 'retrieving' Hinata for the day. "Would you be willing to come now?"  
Aoba-_sensei_ just nodded to me, signifying that he would wait for our special training session. Yes, he really did make sure I was training fourteen hours a day. Can't complain, it's better than sneaking around at midnight to do it. _Kuso_! There it is again! I swear I'm going to end up jumping Kiba next time he decides to take off her shirt to wring it out... "Alright. I will just go home and freshen up a bit. Please Tell Hiashi to alert the Hyuuga elders that I will be there within the hour." This wasn't going to be fun. Not in any version of reality, not by any stretch of anyone's imagination. Dealing with people over fifteen is bothersome when you have to tell them something.

"Thank you for heeding our summons so quickly, Senju-_sama_." One of the older – not elder, just older – Hyuuga told me formally.  
"Tatsuko-_chan_ came because Tatsuko-_chan_ wanted to play with her Hinata-_chan_. Don't thank Tatsuko-_chan_ for coming fast to get her Hinata-_chan_ or Tatsuko-_chan_ might think you are trying to make fun of Tatsuko-_chan_." I smiled, speaking far too sweet for the threat just issued. "Now, Hiashi-_chan_, what can little ol' Tatsuko-_chan_ do for you?" Want to try make me feel small by acting like you can time how long it takes for me to heed your call? Well, I've mindfucked bigger crowds before.  
"That would be my question to you, Senju-_sama_. The request you sent me is a little... unorthodox." He knew me well enough to take the situation seriously. After all, he has seen what I can do firsthand.  
"What's wrong? Ka-chan told me all about the twadition and that Hiashi-_chan_'s _Tou-chan_ wanted this too." I looked around trying to see who was the real cause of this little issue. The elders were all nodded slowly, some more thoughtfully than others, and Hinata-_chan_ was kind of just staring off into space. Yes, she has to suffer through this just as much as I do. Poor thing.  
"Perhaps if you were to word the request differently I could gleam more wisdom from it's words?" That's a nice way of saying he either doesn't understand shit I said, or that he simply doesn't trust what he currently understands of it and wants something else to chew on mentally.  
"I'm not sure what there is to not understand, Hiashi-_chan_. Tatsuko-_chan_ has been very clear. As per the agreement made between the Second House of the Senju Clan and the Hyuuga clan several generations ago, I wish to arrange the exchange of a female. Now as I am the only member of the Senju clan, I am the only plausible member to receive and therefore choose said female. And seeing that the agreement is to mix the blood of the offspring produced by said exchange, and that it is in fact impossible to produce an heir from two females, that renders our agreement void." There was no way to say all of that in any fashion that can come over as cute, so straight to the point is best, I guess. I still said it in a cute voice, but that's as far as that went. Sucks, it was going over so well too.  
"I see." He said, but he really didn't. He's confused as hell.  
"So as per our agreement, Hinata-_chan_ will be sever ties with the Hyuuga clan, is forbidden to be marked with that caged bird of yours... and will in fact become a Senju." I said. Still, there was something more to say, so I used my _ototon_ to whisper something extra into Hiashi's ear so no one else could hope to hear it. "Luckily for you I cannot claim both your daughters." I don't know why they feel the need to talk about this. It is a straight forward deal that has happened three times before. Hell, Hiashi is the one that choose his wife from our clan in the first fucking place. Talk about bullshit and hypocrisy.  
"You seem well versed." Was all one of the elders would say. They had no way out of this an they knew it.  
"Well, I suppose that's all I have to say on the matter. Though..." I stood up, assuming a more compassionate tone of voice and stance. "should a father wish to see his daughter, I see no reason to forbid it."  
Hiashi nodded, mouthing a thank you.  
"Come Hinata. We must pack your things." I said, smiling at her as warmly as I could.

* * *

We were holed up in Hinata's bedroom. It's cramped, to say the least, and not because it had too much stuff. I've seen bigger closets.  
"there i-isn't m-much to p-pack..." She managed. Even with all the progress over the last few weeks, she still stutters when something bothers he enough. "s-scrolls and p-p-pictures m-mostly."  
We grabbed her missions backpack and a duffel bag from in her closet and set them both on her bed. I'm sure she didn't wake up this morning thinking that this was going to be the last time she woke up in this house.  
I really didn't want to spring this on her like this. This was supposed to happen a year from now, but I won't risk any 'accidents' after having mouthed off like that to the Hyuuga elders. Heaving a sigh like I was an old woman, I set about packing what little clothes she owned, as she set about packing her other belongings – precious few as they were.  
I can't help but feel that there was a story lurking just behind the scarcity of her possessions. Well, in a matter of minutes it will no longer matter.

There was a knock on the door, followed by a very subdued request to enter. I activated my _doujutsu_, seeing only Hiashi and Hanabi on the other side of the door – and no one else within twenty meters. Nodding for Hinata to continue packing, I opened it. "I'd offer for you to come in, but there isn't much space to maneuver in here."  
"That's fine..." Hiashi seems a little lost right now. "We would like to escort Hinata to her new home." His voice is uncharacteristically subdued. I notice a little nod out of Hanabi-_chan_ as well.  
I turned to Hinata who just nodded, not even looking up from her task. "Very well, if you would wait here? We won't be long." Two nods followed, so I closed the door again. It wasn't to be rude, but it **was** a clear sign to the fifty-odd fuckers using their _Byakugan_ to see what was going on right now.  
Another five minutes and the four of us started making our way to the gate to leave the compound. Naturally, Hiashi instructed Kou to walk with us... to carry the bags. Can't have important people carrying bags, now can we?

* * *

So here we are. Hiashi, Hinata, Hanabi and me... with Kou stuck playing the gopher. He didn't utter a word of complaint, but there was an tenseness to him tonight.  
The walk from the Hyuuga compound to the our destination was usually no longer than ten minutes – if you take the shortest route – but Hiashi seemed to want to stretch this walk as long as he could. To him, he was losing his first born way too soon. Too bad he never let her know that before. Still, we had to end up at the guard post announcing the entrance to the Senju District eventually.  
Everyone had something to say, yet no one said any of it. Too many things left unsaid, too many smiles left at a tense glare. Fuck, using the _shinseina shoukai_ right now is not really helping anyone! Hmm, maybe I can turn this into a good thing?  
Well, why not? I decided to announce how fucking weird this whole thing was. "You know Sasuke's going to have a fit when he finds out we're technically married, right?" I'm not sure who started chuckling first, but the sheer ridiculousness of it all finally hit home. We were far enough away for us to lose most of those fucktards us without them being obvious, and the Hyuuga entourage knew that. So they actually just laughed.  
Hinata's giggles were lighting up the night, accompanied by Hanabi's – who had a hand over her own mouth. Kou chuckled a bit, before he nearly dropped on of the bags, causing everyone to laugh a little harder. And Hiashi...  
"Tatsuhi would approve." Hiashi finally said, laughing at something only he could see. "Minato and Jiraiya-_sensei_ too." That seemed to only make him laugh harder. Who ever thought Hiashi could laugh? It utterly morphed his features until I couldn't even recognize the man – and no, this wasn't even a _henge_ gone wrong. Just don't ask me why he called the old perv 'sensei'...  
"Well, now that everyone knows this isn't a funeral." I poked fun at them. "Keep your Hyuuga pride off my property, if you wish to enter you had damn well better do it with a smile on your face and laughter in your heart."  
Everyone stared at me, wondering what I meant. Jeez, stop reading between the lines and listen. "In or out?" I clarified.  
"Thank you, Sen-"  
"Tatsuko." I interrupted yet another formal attempt.  
"Tatsuko... but no. It is getting late and we need to get back. However, there is a boon I must beg of you." His posture was stiff again, obviously something he thought needed being done formally.  
"Yes?" I looked around, noticing how dark the night had gotten. It was already past ten at night... yeah, or trainings run late more often than not.  
"Take Kou as well, to watch over my daughter." His eyes were begging me. "He is one of the few I trust enough for this." I looked at Kou, who also seemed taken back. Well, I see no real issue with that... but...  
"So long as he understands that he will living in the same household as Naruto as well. I trust that will not cause any discomfort of any kind." I glared at him, daring him to say any of the bullshit I had heard him say when he thought no one was listening. Including, but not limited to, forbidding Hinata from ever seeing or associating with Naruto again. Yeah, I know all about that.  
He fidgeted bit. "I-" He cleared his throat. "If it pleases Hinata-_sama_, I would be honored to." Good save, shithead. I was still half tempted to deny him outright, but he has a point.  
Hinata, of course, looked at me askance. I rolled my eyes, but nodded. "I'd l-like that."

* * *

This is just great. Just fucking great. We all decided to have a meeting once I showed up with Hinata, Kou, and bags in tow. I guess I've been putting it off long enough. "Alright, settle down. Here's how I see things playing out. We each need our own room and an office for whatever research and what not we want to do. So, we keep everything on the second floor, girls to one side, boys to the other. There are two _furos_ on this floor, so one for each group."  
"Fine, but if Kou starts any bullshit, I reserve the right to knock him down a peg." Naruto stated bluntly, with Hikaru nodding with an evil smirk  
"That goes without saying. Everyone deserves equal respect in this house, so whoever forgets that needs a firm reminder." I said. Double standards works with everyone else, so it'll work just fine now too.  
"Kou gets a room on the fourth floor. And if there's any repeat offense, he's either out or executed." I was looking at him right in his eyes when I said that. "And we need to do something about that seal on his forehead. I refuse to have anyone of the Hyuuga elders holding anything over his head to blindside us with later."  
"That won't be necessary." Kou said, taking the verbal beating in stride. He took off his _hitae-ate_, showing an unmarked forehead. No wonder Hiashi said he would trust him.  
"Fine. One less stress, but don't think we were joking. We've got our eyes on you." Hikaru warned.  
"I understand." He at least accepts that with grace.  
"Moving on," I pulled out a custom made map Yuuna drew up of the castle. I flipped through it (yes maps need to cover more than one page with multiple floors) until I got the floorplan of the second floor. "this side will be for the boys." I tapped the left side. "We will have this side." I tapped the right side.  
No one complained, so I continued. "Pick one room for the bedroom, and another for your study/office/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. Yuuna and Naruto, I want custom made seals that can lock the doors that only one person can open, namely to owner of said room. How fast can you two get that done?"  
"Hmm, tomorrow night?" Naruto locked eyes with the carrot top.  
"Latest, I already know what you are more or less looking for _Nee-chan_. Should be pretty easy." Yuuna shrugged.  
"Good, that settles that. Alright, then once we have those seals installed we will need to furnish out both rooms. Everything we'd need is locked away on the fifth floor. We're going to be handling that tomorrow while Yuuna and Naruto are dealing with the seals." And Naruto chalks out more clones than Konoha has _shinobi_.  
"D-do you th-think Aoba-_sensei_ w-will get m-mad?" Hinata stuttered. I did notice the blush on her cheeks again, probably just realizing that Naruto will be down the hall now, instead of across town.  
"Nope. He'll be happy that I'm busy. Just let me handle him. Hell, I might even talk him into moving in too just to shut him up about this whole thing." I told her, half joking. He really had been a bit... overzealous... about keeping an eye on me lately.  
"Anyway, any questions so far?" No one had any. "Alright, Kou, you can pick any two rooms you want on the fourth floor. Hinata, Yuuna, we're going to be bunking together for tonight."  
"Aww, man."  
"Hikaru, you can have a room with her after you guys either get married or make _chuunin_." I told him, which he seemed to not mind. "Preferably marriage though." Everyone laughed when his face fell.

* * *

The next morning was a bit weird – I slept in. I actually just felt like taking it easy, before tackling yet another project that needed my undivided attention. So around seven I started making my way downstairs to start making myself something to eat, already finding everyone there. And by everyone I mean Hikaru, Naruto, Hinata, Yuuna, Kou, Aoba and Kiba...  
"Morning guys." I waved at them, not even caring about my disheveled bedhair, or the lines decorating my face that told them I had just gotten out of bed.  
"Good morning, sunshine." Aoba-_sensei_ teased. I was half tempted to ask why he was here so early... but then, we usually started training at six AM. "Kiba and me were... curious... why you and Hinata-_chan_ didn't show up to train this morning, so we decided to come here to find you." He must have red the question on my face. That, or he has some weird _jutsu_ that can read minds too.  
"ah..." I shrugged, grabbing some coffee and the _bento_ that Yuuna laid on the counter with my name on it.  
"_Nee-chan_! That _bento_ is for later!" Yuuna complained, grabbing a plate and magically filling it up with food I have no idea where she found...  
"_gomen_, _gomen_..." I trudged to the table, plopping on a chair ungracefully. I dunno why I feel this way, but I'm guessing this is what a hangover feels like. My vision is blurry, my head is thumping and I have this weird itch right behind my left ear...  
"Someone's not a morning person." Yuuna announced. Not sure who she was saying that too, or whether I care or not.  
"The one time I sleep in, and this is what I get?" I stuck my tongue out at her, then took a long pull at my coffee. This isn't one of those little cups that you use when being polite and need caffeine. This is a beer mug that I... borrowed... from a bar a few years back. Filled with just under a pint of piping hot liquid euphoria – six parts coffee, two parts milk, one part sugar. This is the stuff dreams are made of – or at least the only legal orgasm I can have at this age.  
"So, Senju-_sama_, what's on the schedule for today?" Hikaru's being a smart ass again.  
"A one way trip to hospital if anyone asks me another stupid question before my coffee works its magic." I intoned via _ototon_. Everyone should know not to bother me while drinking my coffee. I noticed Yuuna and Hinata giggling at the face Hikaru made, but I didn't really care.  
"Aw come on, 'Ruto and me are going on our first C-class mission today. So I won't be able to bug you for weeks. WEEKS! Do you know how long that is?" He poked fun at me.  
"Longer than five minutes." I said, then tilted the mug to get the last of the my pissed-off-at-the-morning-because-it-sucks liquid.  
"Exactly! That's like a lot of five minutes!" Hikaru's been hanging around Yuuna too much. **Way** too much.  
"Yuuna, what have you done to him?" I asked, grabbing my chopsticks to start eating. Don't question my breakfast logic – there is none.  
"Huh?" She asked, pretending to wipe something from the corner of her mouth with her fingertip. Okay, too much information!  
"Anyway, how come you said you would have the seal done by tonight, if you were leaving today?" I turned to Naruto.  
"Because Kaka-_sensei_ will probably be ready to leave tonight, even though we were told to meet him by the gate at three PM." As sad as that is, it's true. I wasn't admitting or denying it though, plausible deniability works best that way.  
"Well, I figure we could start setting up the rooms, and give the boys some time to rest after that. They will be the pack mules after all." I smirked at Naruto and Hikaru, showing them that I was referring to them specifically.  
"Sounds good to me. Maybe I can get some quality time with Yuuna before I leave." Hikaru said. He and Yuuna smiled at each other, obviously agreeing to do just that.  
"And you wonder why I refuse to let you two share a room?" I intoned, glaring dully. Though I'm sure the rice stuck on my lower lip is ruining the effect I was going for.  
"What she doesn't know can't hurt us." Yuuna's stage whisper was not exactly earning them any points. But it certainly was giving me a good idea to pay him back for that 'little' slip up a few weeks ago... Hmm, and I'll have some time to plan while he isn't here. The smile that I offered him... well let's just say he knows he's not going to like this. He hasn't even gotten the warning slap to gauge it by this time.

* * *

"So Aoba-_sensei_, what do you think about moving in here too?" I asked, after everyone picked out the bed, desk and bookshelf they wanted. Naruto was spamming clones right and left to move it all to the second floor so everyone could claim it there.  
"And give up my stylish bachelor pad?" He laughed at the thought of it.  
"_Sensei_, you have a studio apartment." I deadpanned, trying to ignore the nervous drops of sweat on my brow.  
"Exactly." He announced like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
"_Sensei_, telling chicks you live in a castle is always going to trump what you got now." Kiba countered. He has a point, even I would quicker go for the guy with in a castle. Still, he better be telling people that his chick lives in a castle!  
"Think about it. Here you can have more space, pay no rent and be down the hall in case you want to keep an eye on me." Logic wins every time. So long as Kiba is more than a meter away from me – and has his shirt on. Thinking back to his walk on water training... is it warm in here?  
"Hmm." He seemed to be thinking about just that. Well, best to give him the time needed for the slow acting poison I injected through words. No one wins an argument with me. Ever. And as an added advantage: Kiba's over there and fully clothed.  
Well, while that plan was stewing on its own, I was busy telling Naruto's clone brigade to mind the corners and to not scratch the walls. I swear, no matter how mature that boy acts, he has no patience whatsoever.

"So we'll need these couches set up downstairs in the room next to the kitchen. That will be the sitting room. And two matching coffee tables as well." Another set of clones popped into existence and the items were being carted off with little to no visible effort. "AND WATCH THOSE CORNERS DAMNIT!"  
Naruto – the original, since clones can't make clones – shouted at them to remind them who would suffer if they messed up. Which earned the blonde _jinchuuriki_ a swat from his twin sister.  
In the middle of this 'controlled' chaos, Hinata was doing her best to make herself useful. She had her _doujutsu_ active, trying to play the foreman of the one man moving company. Somehow she found a loudspeaker of some sort and was stuttering out warnings to the blonde army. I really need to work on that stuttering thing. Maybe Anko-chan will have some helpful hints?

* * *

Things kinda settled down too quickly after that. I set up my bedroom and the study I claimed right across the hall. Nothing spectacular for now, just the basics so I can live comfortably. I made sure to tell everyone that they needed to start gathering the finer things of their trade to furnish their study with – fuuin scrolls, weapons, jutsu scrolls, whatever catches their fancy.  
As for me, I was making my list with what I needed. Scrolls were of course at the top of that list. I may never be as good as Yuuna, or even Naruto, but I can make my own tracking seal, storage seals and I can copy any seal they explain in depth. They were the ones that can makes seals on the fly – catered to their exact specifications might I add.  
Anyway, I need _fuuin_ scrolls, regular scrolls, and ink for both. Never use regular ink to make a _fuuin_! Ever! I also need some pegs put up to arrange my equipment. Hmm, I could use some jutsu scrolls to fill these shelves with too. Sure, there's the library too, but that is too general. I need to start cataloging my custom _jutsus_ too. Wouldn't want those to be lost with me. Still, I need to bug Yuuna about making those special seals to keep my scrolls from falling into the wrong hands regardless.  
"Hey, _Imouto-chan_. Can I talk to you?" Aoba-_sensei_ asked after knocking and entering. I wasn't really doing anything important, other than marking where I want those pegs set up.  
"Sure, _sensei_. What's up?" I smiled, but didn't waver from my current ministrations. Hmm, no I want _Tou-chan_'s _wakizashi_ higher than that! It should shine as my prized possession, after all.  
"What's up with you lately?" He asked, taking off his shades to show that he wasn't using his _doujutsu_ to gleam any hidden meanings. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but it would make me feel better."  
"Lately? Nothing that hasn't been there the whole time." No, not that high! I want to be able to grab it in a hurry in case I need it.  
"Tsu?" I flinched, breaking the tip of the pencil I was using to mark the walls where I wanted something or another done. "And you wonder why I ask." He deadpanned.  
"_Sensei_, **don't** call me **that**." I tried to speak naturally, but it still came out as a growl.  
"Why? That was your registered name up until two and half years ago. Why else would the records of Senju Tatsuko be so iffy." He leaned up against the doorpost, crossing his arms with an unamused... I dunno, it's not a scowl, but he's making it clear he's not very happy right now.  
"_Sensei_, look, there are somethings I would trust you with blindly. Others I wouldn't trust even Hikaru with." I explained, walking to the desk and praying there was another pencil in one of the drawers. There wasn't, so I took out a _kunai_ and sharpened the pencil with that – not a regular _kunai_, I don't keep those on me.  
"Yukikami Tsu, graduated the academy at age four, made _chuunin_ at age six by means of a field promotion. Inducted into the ANBU by age seven originally placed under Yukikami Tatsuhi. Completed her one and only S-class mission at age eight, the assassination of the _Yondaime Mizukage_ – which was a joint mission between Konoha and the rebels of _Kirigakure no Sato_. She then wandered with Jiraiya of the _Sannin_ for just under a year with her ANBU partner, before coming back and attending the academy under the name Senju Tatsuko. Served under Yukikami Tatsuhi, aiding him to protect the _jinchuuriki_ Uzumaki Naruto. After the Kitsunaga massacre, she became the second in command of the squad and aided in training Yuuna in _Fuuinjutsu_ – which she hadn't learned anything of up until that point." I'm going to kill Saru-_ji-chan_.  
Apparently he wasn't finished either. "After the loss of her father, she took up the reins and continued his mission, becoming the youngest ANBU _buntaichou_ in Konoha's history. Though for the first six months you served alongside Hatake Kakashi and his partner Umino Rin. Once Kakashi gave the go ahead, you recruited three rookie ANBU operatives and trained them personally. Once satisfied you set up a rotation between three ANBU teams to monitor Naruto around the clock to ensure his safety. Later she changed all the rules and started training Naruto as well." Doesn't the word 'confidential' mean anything anymore?  
"During her last A-class mission, she was to subtly interrogate the members of the Uchi-"  
"Get to the point." It's a shame Tsu never outranked him, it would have been nice to use right about now.  
There was a long silence before he formulated this weeks edition of _Kami-sama_'s comedy hour. "Why can't I call you 'Tsu'?" Some shit only the Gods can find humor in.  
"Because she's dead." I said. "If I were her, would I be on a _genin_ team?"  
"'Dead' and 'undercover' are two very different concepts. You are neither, so what is the problem?" You just don't get it, do you? No, of course you don't. No one gets it.  
"Everything." Was all I said, and all I was going to say on the matter. Am I going to have to burn those records to keep them private?  
"You are no longer undercover, Tsu so wh-"  
"**Stop.** Calling. Me. **That**." What the fuck is it with calling me by that name these days? Is Hikaru spouting his bullshit again? He of all people should know better.  
"Why are you still going by your code name then?"  
"Tatsuko is my birthname. It wasn't until Itachi started hanging around me in the first place that I even needed to be called by any other name." I said, my tone dripping with anger and frustration. This is not my favorite subject by any stretch of imagination.  
"So you prefer being called _Usagi_ then?"  
"**Tsu**'s ANBU mask was _Usagi_. Seeing as she's dea-"  
"You are not dead."  
"Tsu. **Is.** Dead. Now kindly leave her that way." I warned, my hands flexing like they wanted to grab/break something. I turned to the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. I half expected it to be Hinata or Yuuna going into their room for something, so I kept quiet until the footsteps died down.

Another knock on the door. "Tsu-_chan_, since we don't have to kill ourselves training today, how about that date? We can go shopping and get those things you were talking to Yuuna about too." Kiba smiled, already knowing I wouldn't say no.  
"Let me just get ready, okay?" Before leaving, I made sure to give Aoba-_sensei_ a wilting glare. I will be chewing Saru-_ji-chan_ out over this!

* * *

After a long bath, putting on three inch pumps and the one dress I own – spaghetti straps, back out, down to the middle of my thigh and peach colored – I finished that list of things I wanted to pick up. I didn't put my hopes up too high for praise – with him being colorblind like most Inuzuka, it wasn't likely that he would really care what I wore.  
I did however put on some watermelon flavored bodyspray. Can't use perfume, since he's more than likely going to have an aversion to it, also typical for his clansmen.  
The list, money, _tessen_ and a scroll containing my battle outfit and regular gear, all went into my purse – yes the scroll is small enough to fit in a purse, it's not that big – and I was ready to go... after checking my reflection in my mirror.

Not ten steps out of the Senju District, Kiba decided to tell me that we were going to get a bite to eat... before trying his luck on the one thing even he won't get a straight answer on. "So what were you and Aoba-_sensei_ talking about when I arrived?" He asked, seemingly leading me in circles.  
"Nothing." I said. Trying to get that subject to drop before it got too serious, I held his hand and looked away to hide a blush. Having sparred with him at least twice a day since we became a team – well this is the first time that we were actually... well, like this. I can't even think straight with him so close.  
"Oh." His smile faltered a bit. With his sensitive hearing he must have heard more than I wanted him to.  
"So where are we going?" I looked at him, noticing that I wasn't the only one blushing at the intimate contact.  
"There's a restaurant that always catches my attention whenever I pass it. I've never been there, but I figure the food's got to be good." We continued walking for a bit, our eyes meeting every once in a while – making me blush a little deeper each time.  
Deciding to just enjoy the view, I noticed that Kiba was wearing his usual outfit. And that Akamaru was napping on his head. I couldn't help but smile at that, and the gentle snores coming from the pup.  
"_Kawaii_!" I gushed, trying to keep my voice down. Akamaru snorted and went back to snoring again. Seeing a puppy sleeping like a baby never gets old.  
"Huh? Oh, him? Yeah, he's just recharging the batteries." Kiba smiled. He has a different smile depending on who he's smiling at. When it's something Hinata does, he smiles like a proud big brother. When it's Aoba-_sensei_, he smiles like a son getting complimented by his father. For Akamaru, he's smiling at his best friend. Then there's the way he smiles at me... it's like he knows something. You know that smile when someone knows something they're not supposed to know and no one knows they know? It's kind of a cocky, smart alecky, smirk that just makes you want to slap him... although it makes me want to do so many other things instead.  
I blushed a little deeper. "You up for some barbeque?" He asked, stopping and tugging me to stop with him. In front of us was a modest sized grill restaurant that smelled of so many good things at once. No wonder he wanted to come here, my mouth is watering from all the scents kicking my appetite into overdrive. Just my luck, my stomach decided to thank Kiba with a loud 'WRRRRRRR!' I felt so embarrassed that I almost cried. "Well, sounds like we're just on time then." He smiled. That damnable smile! I just nodded and let him lead me in.

"Good morning and welcome to Yakiniku Q. Table for two?" The waitress welcomed us with a smile.  
"Yeah. No issue with the pup right?" Kiba pointed at his head with his left hand, still keeping our fingers entwined the whole time. It felt... warm. Warm, like a thick blanket wrapped around you near the fireplace on a cold winter night. Does that makes sense? Even a little? I'm not sure. I just know how it feels – good.  
"Of course not, Inuzuka-_san_. We get far too much business from your clansmen to worry with little details. Please, this way." She seemed to smile a little looking at us. Or was it us? "A private booth, I take it?" I blushed a little deeper, but looked at Kiba wondering what he thought about it.  
"Yeah, nothing but the best for my girl." Who needs blush to make my face look red? Jeez, I'm giving Hinata a run for her money right now.  
As per tradition, the waitress led the way with me a few paces behind her and Kiba right behind me. He was a good bit closer than anyone else would walk, well within my personal bubble. Hell, he was close enough for me to feel him walking behind me. Somewhere in the back of my mind I figured that he was showing possession. Which somehow I didn't mind. So long as he knew that possession went both ways, it's fine by me... I think my pride was trying to contest that, but was currently being fried by Kiba's proximity.  
"Here are the menus," She tapped the glass pane on the wall behind me, the elegant menu visible through it - the glass I mean. "would you like anything to drink?" I sat on the blue pillow to the far side of the booth, with Kiba sitting down next to me and he placed Akamaru next to him. The booth was made for four people so we had plenty of space, and the lighting was just perfect. Not so dark that we couldn't see what we were doing, but not so bright so that everyone could see what we were doing.  
"Yeah, do you have jasmine tea?" Kiba asked. How did he-  
"Of course, Inuzuka-_san_." She smiled politely. A little too politely. I already decided that I don't like that skank.  
"Good, we'll start with that."  
"I'll be right back with your tea to take your orders." She excused herself, not even writing down any notes.  
I decided to find out how Kiba knew about that. "How did you-"  
"We've been having lunch together almost every day since we graduated. Remembering little details like your favorite tea, and liking being treated like a lady aren't too hard." He smiled at me. That last part sounds weird to most civilians, but _kunoichi_ usually like to be treated like one of the guys. He obviously noticed that Hinata, Yuuna and I are the exception to that rule – we act like girls and prefer to be treated as such. So long as you don't disrespect us, of course. That's when we pull out the _kunoichi_ card and rip you a new one.  
"I see." I smiled back at him, kissing him on his cheek as a thank you – making sure to rub off the excess lip gloss off with my thumb. Not all of it though! I wanted to make sure my scent was all over him for when he went back to his clan's compound – if there was anything to ward off girls in his clan, it's the smell of another female, especially a strong female. Just don't ask me how they can tell how strong someone is by their smell.  
"So what are you up for? I figure the beef/pork mixed bucket should be more than enough." I remember having glanced at the menu. There was quite a selection of meats, some salads on the side and deserts, but that was more or less it.  
"Hmm, that sounds good. And maybe a veggie delight?" I'm not one to only eat a salad, but salads are also very nice to have, and this one has spinach, two kinds of lettuce, baby tomatoes and beats. And most importantly it has carrots! I love carrots.  
"Alright."

Somehow the conversation just kind of wandered about after that. He started talking about his training with his mom and sister (the only veterinarian of his clan), I started talking about the extra training I was doing with Hikaru and Aoba-_sensei_. Somehow we managed to get to carnival games, and the festival that was coming up in a few weeks. Then there was the _chuunin_ exams that had taken place in Iwa a few months ago, the babysitting missions that we were truly depressed every time we heard we got – yes, the same little brat that no one could handle but us for some reason – and of course there was Tora.  
"I still can't believe Naruto and Hikaru caught that little beast faster than we did."  
"I know, right! You'd think that they would have the most trouble finding that cat..."  
"It must be because she smells a dog chasing after her. Cats and dogs, meh..." He shrugged.  
"True, that might just be it. Maybe we can work on you just chasing her to one of us next time, that should counter that and shave off at least a half hour of chasing that damn thing around." I said, already tossing some ideas around in my head. Which wasn't easy with the meat sizzling right in front of me. No matter what anyone thinks, planning on an empty stomach with food in front of you is not the best situation.  
The food should be properly cooked by now, so I decided to try one of the thinner cuts if it was cooked clean through. Just as I was going to grab one of them with my chopsticks, "That one's not done yet." Kiba stopped my chopsticks with his, then grabbed a thicker cut that was near the middle. "Aah." He instructed, bringing the food to my lips for me to try. Who would refuse such an offer? Not me!  
It was a juicy piece of beef, well seasoned. I took a few bites, letting it melt on my tongue. I closed my eyes, studying the unique mix of sweet and bitter the chef had used. "Mmmm, it's good." I turned to Kiba about to tell him something, but he had this look on his face. He had his eyes trained on me with a... blush? He decided to push his luck as far as it would go by rubbing my back, offering me that smile of his to disarm any reaction he may or may not have expected out of me.  
Had anyone else touched me like that, they'd never be able to feel their fingers again. But with Kiba... I had to bite back another moan, this time from the warmth of his hand against my bare back.  
"You want one too?" I asked, grabbing a piece of the beef, right next to the one he just fed me. I was going to just put it on his mouth, I really was. But I need to make sure that waitress that has been eying him for the last ten minutes understands exactly what her place is. Yes, I can see the tramp peaking through the door that she obviously kept slightly ajar for this exact purpose. So I grabbed it between my teeth and fed it to him.  
Needless to say that the walking-on-clouds look on his face was more than gratifying enough to be willing to do that again soon. How soon depends on whether or not he is the gentleman I think he is... and I have just the way to test for that.

* * *

"We really should get going. Let me just go to the lady's room, okay?" I said, nudging against Kiba to let him know I wanted to get passed. I didn't even mind that he enjoyed the contact, but I was a little disappointed that he just got out of the way. I'm not sure what I expected him to do, but just obeying wasn't it. You'd think he would have realized that I could just walk around him with no problem.  
Still, rewarding that kind of behavior is not a bad thing. So I gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek as I walked past, already looking around for the bathroom.

On my way back to our booth I heard the same out-of-place about-to-be-tortured waitress openly flirting with Kiba. It's not hard to tell when a a girl's flirting. Playing with her hair, swishing her hips back and forth, both feet pointing right at him and the slightly higher pitch in her voice than normal. Most guys wouldn't even pick up on half of that, but girls pick that up in under three seconds. Even looking around a corner coming back from the bathroom. That's why lying to your girlfriend is pointless. And stupid.  
"So Inuzuka-_san_, you planning on taking the chuunin exams? I'm sure you would do well, with you being so strong." He's half your age! Who you think you are? Jenna Jameson?  
"Look, I just want the check, okay? If Tsu-_chan_ comes back and finds you flirting with me, I'm sure she'd-"  
"She'd what?" Watch the bedroom eyes and voice, cause I have the needed skills to permanently put them to rest. "A man like you doesn't need to be with a little girl. I can offer you everything your body craves." All I saw was red. And somehow ripping her throat out and feeding it to her just to see how the mechanics of it would work, it just felt like the right thing to do.  
"Yeah, I'm sure you could. Too bad the last three guys that you flirted with thought that was cute. And why do you smell like day old fish right now? Hmm?" I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Maybe you should just talk to your boss about a raise, because the red light special isn't legal here. So clean up your act or I'll personally arrange an audience with someone in Torture and Interrogation that you'll never forget. My _sensei_ works in that department, so I'm sure we can speed it up too."  
I was walking on clouds. Who would have guessed that a twelve year old boy would have the resolve and strength of character to not take advantage of an easy lay.  
"Now bring the check, or your manager. Which ever is easier for you." … wow... If this was a game he would have just hit the jackpot. Or I hit the jackpot. A winner is... me!

"Oh, hey. There you are. We just need to pay the bill and hit the road." Kiba already had Akamaru in his jacket, and was watching me with an appraising eye. I instantly decided that I liked having him look at me like that – because he liked what he saw. "You ready? Or did you just want to have this moment last forever?" Is something wrong with that? That damnable smile. And my knees are about to give out – they feel like jelly right now. Would it be wrong if I wanted him to carry me home... bridal style?

* * *

After that things kinda settled into a very comfortable pattern. We just walked around until one of us found a store that looked interesting, and we'd walk in and look around until we lost interest in it. No goal, no time limit. Just talking... and touching.  
No groping, unfortu- uhh... I mean thank _Kami-sama_. I wouldn't want to have to hurt him. Right? Umm, yeah, we'll go with that. Thank _Kami-sama_ Kiba was behaving himself? This is what I get for hanging around the greatest super pervert the Elemental Nations has ever seen.  
Am I supposed to want Kiba to touch me this badly?

"I've been meaning to ask for a while now. What's up with the _tantos_ you usually have on you? … Think you could teach me a couple of tricks?" He asked. His tone was as conversational as it gets, but my head wasn't in it. I was either in my own little world, or staring at his backside. And a gorgeous backside it is, might I add.  
"Sure." I replied, both blushing and not entirely sure what I just agreed to.  
"Cool! What do you think? Should I start with a single blade like Naruto and Hikaru, or should I just start dual blade style like you?"  
How much does he work out? Cause I can't see an ounce of fat anywhere on him! He looks like one big walking, breathing bronze statue of muscle. What I wouldn't give to have him wrap those arms of his around me.  
"Tsu-_chan_!"  
"Huh? Wha-" He caught me spacing out, but hopefully he doesn't know what I was actually thinking about. But then, him knowing might make him want to-  
"Swords. One or two?" Uh...  
"Two?" I use two, right?  
"Hmm, sounds good. Hm, you mind helping me pick out a good pair then? Not too many people in the family use swords for anything." He explained, a bit embarrassed at admitting that he wasn't all that good at something.  
Should I find that attractive? It feels like I do. It definitely feels like my cheeks are on fire from blushing so much. I just nodded and walked towards the the racks on the wall.  
None of the swords, _tantos_, _wakizashis_, _katanas_... none of the blades looked like a matching pair. Hmm. "Ryuusei-_san_, a moment of your time?" I asked politely. He's really one of the few people I know that has earned that level of respect at every turn – other than Tou-_chan_ or 'Karu.  
"Of course, Senju-_sama_. How can I be of service?" The tall, stocky man asked as he was walking over from behind the counter where he was usually perched. He had a bit of a limp, which I'm sure there was a story behind. Still, he is the most capable blacksmith I know, so I make a habit of bringing all my business to him.  
"We're looking for a matching pair of blades meant for dual wielding. Do you have any recommendations?" I explained the situation to him.  
"Hmm..." He paced through the collection decorating the wall. "No. Not really. Everything I have here won't balance well if dual wielded. The only thing I have that fits your description is something I gave up on ever selling. No one seemed to want it."  
"What is it?" I asked, noticing Kiba-_kun_'s wary gaze. He probably figures that if no one else wanted it, why would he.  
"It's something of a custom made windmill _shuriken_, but it's so big that no one thinks it would be would ever be useful." He explained, before making his way to his workshop in the back. "I'll bring it to you."  
"Hmm, a windmill _shuriken_. Interesting." I wondered what was so customized about it, and why no one else would want it.  
"Tsu-_chan_, why is it that everyone knows you?"  
"Senju?" I replied, wondering why he never made that connection before.  
"They wouldn't know your name, unless they already knew you." He retorted. Well, that makes sense, I guess.  
"It's a long story, and I'm not really in a storytelling mood." I answered. No matter how warm and fuzzy I feel inside with him, that is not something I want to talk about.  
"You think _sensei_ is going to double up on training tomorrow, because of us slacking up today?" I wonder...  
"I doubt it, he will make us train hard regardless though. You know how he feels about training."  
"If you can still feel your legs, you did it wrong." Kiba quoted, a sour look on his face. More often than not, _sensei_ was right about his training methods. He must be stronger than he looks since he does everything we do, and still feels energized at the end of the day. Even I feel like death warmed over and sprinkled with shit at after training with him.  
Which was actually a step up, from training with _Tou-chan_... that says something sad about my life, I just know it.

"Sorry for takin' s' long." Ryuusei-_san_ announced. He was what looked like a long (meter and a half long) scimitar in it's sheath. The weird thing was that the pummel was similar to a _kunai_ – there was a ring at the end. He unsheathed the... blade. It looked like... a short _naginata_. That is, until...

ffft...

… it clicked out. Strangely enough it sounded like it passed wind...? Is it supposed to sound like that? Anyway, this really is a modified windmill _shuriken_. From the angels of the blades I can tell it was designed to boomerang back it the user, while unleashing hell all around him or her.  
"I'll take it!" Kiba didn't need to be talked into anything, it seemed.  
"Really?" Ryuusei-_san_ sounded shocked. "Maybe I should have kept this out on display then. I had given up hope that it would ever sell."  
"How much?"  
"Seeing that I am the only one that can do the upkeep? Nothing. See this as a thank you for trusting in my skill." He clicked it back, so it once again appeared to be a single blade, then re-sheathed it. "My only regret is that there are no custom _jutsu_ I can give you with it. It's basically all up to you how it is used." He then offered the blade to Kiba.  
"I'm not worried about that! This is the most bad ass weapon I've ever seen!" Kiba was looking at it like a kid looks at a Christmas tree. I couldn't help but smile.  
"Well, I'm sure we can come up with something." I said, placing my chin on Kiba's shoulder. I wanted to hold his hand or arm, or something. Something to show that I was there with him. But only his shoulders weren't being used.  
"I didn't say it comes with nothing at all." Ryuusei interrupted. He handed Kiba a single scroll. "That contains the instructions on how to work it, as well as some of my theories on what it should be capable of doing. It's not made of _chakra_ conducting material, but it will stand up to most any opponent you could face."  
"I... don't know what to say... I..." Kiba held the offered items like a man trapped in a desert who was just offered a jug of water. "Thank you, Ryuusei-_san_. I am in your debt." He bowed, thus sadly breaking the contact I was just starting to enjoy.  
"Think nothing of it. Just send business my way and we'll call it even." He winked.

* * *

Kiba damn near dragged me to the training grounds after that. There was no way in hell he was going to not try to figure out how to use his new toy. Somehow I couldn't even get mad at him. The sheer joy on his face... I dunno, it just disarmed every argument I could have come up with.  
He was way too much of a doer to read the scroll though, so he chucked that over to me in case he had questions. Was this how I imagined my first date would go? No. But I wouldn't change it, not for all the money in the world.  
The first thing he did was practice flicking it open and shut. For over an hour, mind you. He might not be a perfectionist, but he damn well could pass for one! After that he would just fling it, making sure to give it the spin I told him to give it. Sure the scroll said nothing on the matter, it just explained the mechanics of the weapon. It didn't even have a proper name! What was Ryuusei-_san_ thinking? Well, Kiba fixed that, calling it his Fang. Kiba and his Fang. Something to tease him with for the next few years at least.  
Anyway, it was damn near sunset by the time Kiba decided he it was time to remember I was there. I didn't mind so much, it was kind fun thinking up moves and plotting out _jutsus_ for it while he tossed it around.  
One alteration he seemed to enjoy a little too much was when I suggested he use his _Tsuuga_ while holding the Fang firmly. The combination of the rapid rotations of the _Tsuuga_, and the curved blade of the Fang. Well, let's just say he learned to balance it out eventually so he could literally hover five meters off the ground. He couldn't maneuver it yet, but he'd figure that out eventually.  
Things were going so well, just the two of us in that otherwise empty training field. So well. Until Aoba-_sensei_ showed up, a serious look on his face.  
"Team 7 has been ambushed by two unidentified _chuunin_ _nuke-nin_ from Kiri. Naruto and Hikaru managed to defeat them and they are all fine. Still, _Hokage-sama_ wants us to investigate the two, bring them back to Konoha, and provide back up for for Kakashi-_san_ should we deem it necessary." My eyes hardened immediately. "Meet me by the gate in thirty minutes. Move out."

* * *

To say that I was freaking out would be the world's greatest understatement. But instead of actually freaking out, I prepared. I made it to my study in under a minute from half way across the village and immediately changed into my battle gear. I didn't even close the door – it would have taken too much time.  
I wrapped my hair, donned my _hitai-ate_ like a mask, put on my shades, strapped on my _tantos_, buckled my _kunai_-pouches... and for the first time in years... I grabbed _Tou-chan_'s _wakizashi_. He always called it _Eiyuu_, his hero. Well, that got strapped to my back, much like how 'Karu wore his blade. After that, I rushed and grabbed _Okaa-sama_'s _Nohkan_. And I grabbed all of my _fuuin_ I've been collecting.  
If the opening gambit is a pair of _chuunin nuke-nin_... then the main threat will be a _jounin_ for sure. I refuse to risk losing you, 'Ruto, 'Karu. I will not lose anyone else. Ever. Just hold on.  
Once I was ready, I _shunshinned_ to the front gate, already rolling plans through my head. I likely had twenty minutes to sort through everything, since I always have a scroll with all my missions gear already prepared. The only time I have to pack anything at all, is when I want to train during the mission. There will be no training this time. This is war. A war to save my little brothers.

"Jeez, you're early." Aoba-_sensei_ arrived shortly after I did. "You have everything?" He asked, only getting a nod in response. There was no hiding my tense muscles of attitude, so I didn't bother to. This whole mission stank with memories for me. Bad memories. I can almost smell the blood in the air when from-  
"Where are the others?" I asked, not even really sure if I saw Hinata to tell her.  
"Not sure. I met up with Hinata before I found you two, so everyone is aware. They are likely just making sure they are prepared." He explained. "However, I will call off this mission if I feel you are ill prepared, Tsu." He's obviously testing for something.  
"Nothing you or anyone else does will get me to stay here." I explained bluntly. "Not even Saru-_ji-chan_."  
"Fair enough." He turned to see the last two members of our team walking up to us. Both had somber expressions on their faces. "Good, we're all here early. We head out now. We should make it to the _nuke-nin_ quickly." That was all that was said.

We immediately took to the trees, blazing through the forest to the place Aoba-_sensei_ said our targets were tied up. The whole time I was using the Divine Inquiry to get all the info about the mission I could without uttering a word. It seemed that Inu encountered a puddle in the middle of the road. That was a _brilliant_ move, seeing that it hadn't rained in a week.  
Anyway, after _Yoko_ and _Shirokuma_ dispatched the _chuunin_, they were tied up and _Inu_ proceeded to 'politely' interrogate the client. Agreeing that the mission was mislabeled but vital enough to follow through on, they continued anyway. _Inu_, as per protocol, sent a summon back to report in on the update. Probably Pakkun, since that was the sole speaker of his pack.  
Only the no names were given. Inu requested my team specifically, seeing that he knew I would be able to judge the situation without the hours Ibiki would need to get what we needed to know.  
Well, that was all Aoba knew on the matter, and we didn't have Inu or _Hokage-sama_ to get more information. I guess only the two unlucky, and overrated, _nuke-nin_ would be able to tell us more.

"There!" Sensei announced, pointing with his nose at a tree that had ninja wire wrapped around it. We all dropped to ground level again, as I moved forward without being told to. I whipped out _Okaa-sama_'s_ Nohkan_ and prepped the _Shinseina Shoukai_ to tell me everything they knew about the Wave Country and all members of the contingent we could possibly encounter. While the videos were playing out in my mind – I only have to cast the jutsu and the information will come to me heedless of what I am doing – I started disarming the two.  
The Demon Brothers, Gouzu and Meizu. Rebels that fled after being discovered by the former Mizukage. I remember them. All too well in fact. If they're here then... that must mean...  
After filtering through the bullshit – denizen headcount, history, Gato's plans (useful but that's Ibiki's job) – I finally got stats on the head of the rat pack.  
… Death is too good for you. After what you made me go through, you walking corpse! "Momochi... Zabuza..."

"_**I – Inu – Tori – Saru – Hitsuji... Kuchiyose no-jutsu!**_" I slammed my left hand on the ground before me, waiting patiently for the ones I called upon. The second the smoke was cleared away for me to see five silhouettes I explained why I chose now to summon them. "An old friend has shown his ugly face again. I have a debt that must be paid in full. Will you help me?" Five pairs of blue eyes simple stared at me.

* * *

_**A/N: Well, this concludes this Arc. Coming up next is the Usagi Gaiden Arc. For those who are completely lost, this upcoming Arc will actually explain all the mystery away. Including the Kinjutsu (both of them actually) that formed the person that Tatsuko is today. For those who are used to the mild violence used up until now, you may want to reconsider whether you wish to continue reading. As there will be no holds barred from this point on.  
**__**Tatsuko/Tsu is going to be showing her actual skills in the upcoming chapters and flashbacks, and there will be quite a bit of fighting for Team 7 as well. This is the main climax I have been building up towards since chapter one, but I haven't decided if this is where I want to end the story. I have some ideas for what comes after, but I will leave it up to the readers whether I actually utilize those ideas. Which includes, but is not limited to, the Chuunin Exams the of course the Invasion Arc.  
**__**I will leave it up to the reviewers what will be the fate of this story. I'm cool with it either way.**_

_**Btw, in case no one else gets the joke with Kiba naming his new weapon 'Fang', Kiba can actually be taken to mean fang. Believe it!**_

_**Kirigakure no Sato - Village hidden in the Mist.  
**__**Nuke-nin – Missing Nin.  
**__**Shinseina Shoukai – Divine Inquiry.  
**__**Windmill Shuriken – Something like the weapon that Sasuke threw during the Wave Arc (I believe it was described as a collapsible Fuuma Shuriken, or something like that). It's been used in many games revolving around shinobi, including Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black. It basically is a big shuriken that flies back to the user after being thrown like a boomerang. But then, I already explained that in-story.  
**__**Eiyuu - Hero.  
**__**Nohkan - Transverse flute traditionally used in Noh and Kabuki theater. As well as the weapon first introduced with Tatsuko in... chapter 3?  
**__**Kuchiyose no-jutsu – Summoning jutsu. The words preceding it are the handseals needed: Boar – Dog – Bird – Monkey – Ram.**_

* * *

**_Omake: Simpler times..._**

Sarutobi Hiruzen spent most of the day in his office, as he had been doing all week. He hated that, he really did. But what did you expect with his second term of a thankless job no one else wants right now? Or at least, no one capable wants. Jiraiya had been refusing the Hat for years now, and no one had seen hide nor hair of Tsunade in a decade.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in." Hiruzen announced. The door swung open to reveal a six year old blond with a bright smile plastered on her face.  
"Saru-ji-chan, you shouldn't still be here! Tou-chan told me to kidnap you and drag you to the festival so that you can buy me some ice cream!" Tsu dashed to his side, already tugging at his hand to attempt to do just that. She seems to have a sweet tooth that rivaled his late wife.  
"Does Tsu-chan really want me to come?" He asked her, teasing her a bit.  
"Saru-jiiii-chaaaaaan! Stop wasting time! All the ice-cream will be gone by the time we get there!" He couldn't help but smile at his granddaughter. Sure they weren't related by blood, but she wouldn't listen no matter how many times anyone told her that.  
"Can I at least finish this stack?" He tried, at least that way he could blame it on her if it came to that. Sad as it sounded, no one would be able to blame her for not turning her down.  
"No! Saru-ji-chan, come on! I'll even let you pet my hair when people ask you who I am!" She tried to bride him with the one thing she always bristled at. Only Tatsuhi could ever get away with being affectionate with her in public, but Hiruzen was getting away with more than anyone else.

It was good to get out of his office, and even better to have someone else to blame for it! Even though Tsu had been a chuunin for less than a month, all the shinobi knew she was not to be trifled with. Sadly she didn't seem to act her age often enough, which was one of the more pressing reasons he had agreed to come with her. Somehow the festival always brought out the child in her.  
Whether the games, all the candy and ice cream, or just the atmosphere, but she did away with the far too old for her years look in her eyes.  
"Naruto-_chaaaaaaaaaaan_!" Tsu called out, waving someone over. "Come on, you have to help me drag Saru-ji-chan over to the ice cream stand! He's taking forever!" There was Hiruzen's other adopted grandchild, now all he needed was little Konohamaru and his little sojourn with the grands would be complete.  
"Tsu-_chan_! Stop being so obvious." Naruto came over, shushing her as best he could. He was obviously trying to keep her from calling his name again.  
"NARUTOOOOOO!" Someone bellowed off in the distance. A small group of civilians were looking this way and that, obviously not being able to find him in the crowd. Having spotted the Hokage, they all made their way over, the look on their face clearly saying they were going to complain about something... until everyone heard a flute being played. The same civilians looked confused, then just went on looking elsewhere.

"You want ice cream too, Naruto-chan?" Tsu asked, putting her flute away. The smile on her face made it clear that he better say yes if he wanted to live.  
"Does it taste like _ramen_?"  
"What's ramen?" Hiruzen just smiled as the two started gushing about their favorite dishes, saying that the other had to try it or they haven't really lived.


	27. Arc4: Next stop, Hell

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Usagi Gaiden (Rabbit Tales)**_

_**Everything is falling apart! Tatsuko isn't even sure she can repair it any longer. How will our hero come to her rescue? Will there be a happy ending?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Konoha, Night of the Kyuubi Attack~  
****~Tatsuhi's POV~**

"Minato, you've lost it!" I shouted, refusing to go along with this bullshit plan he has going though his mind. I think his losing Kushina in childbirth – or whatever happened – is wearing him thinner than anyone could have predicted.  
"Tsuhi, cut the shit. _Kyuubi_ is sporting a _Sharingan_ with three _tomoe_ right now, and a man with a _Sharingan_ killed Sandaime's wife and four ANBU guarding us. Including your brother." He intoned. His eyes are haunted. This is more than the half baked plan, this is war to him. "We don't have time to figure out what the fuck is going on here, we just have to seal the _Yonbi_ and _Kyuubi_ and we have to do it now!" _Yonbi_ too! That fucking thing is sealed in an urn! But then, _Kyuubi_ was sealed in a _Kage_ level _kunoichi_, so you aren't taking any chances... are you...?  
"Fine, then use me! Leave the kids out of this!" I offered. So long as Emi is around she can guard the kids for us. Kushina's obviously gone since the _Kyuubi_'s rampaging, and Minato's planning on sacrificing himself to seal that fox. At least this way the kids will have a mother to raise them, especially Tatsuko... She starts to cry if her mother is away for more than a second.  
"I can't and you know it. I need two _jinchuuriki_ to seal the two _bijuu_, and you are too used to your own _chakra_ to be able to cope. If we want this to work, the _jinchuuriki_ has to be younger than ten, and my babies are already used to the _Kyuubi_'s chakra. They are the best candidates to not only hold them, but to survive with them." His tone and the look in his eyes... he's broken.  
"There is still another way. There has to be!" Emi announced. Even with the world going crazy around us, she still sounds like she's singing as she speaks. I've long given up on figuring out why, besides I love that about her. "One that doesn't involve-"  
"The Uchiha are controlling the _Kyuubi_, Emi." You already said that, _Aneki_. "We don't have time, or elbowroom to 'figure things out'. They are not taking prisoners and we have a village worth of options for them. Including both your clans. You know how much they would love to be rid of them both." Another explosion rocked the building we were in. Even with us being five stories underground.  
Emi's eyes went wide. "Then-"  
"Yes." Minato said solemnly. Emi was about to ask if her clan was at risk, or even being slaughtered as we speak... I can tell by her eyes. Those beautiful pink eyes of hers are so lost. "Neither of you are going to like what I'm about to say, but it will save countless lives. And unfortunately I am ordering you to do this as a long term S-class mission that you cannot refuse."  
The tone he used already told me that he was right, I'm not going to like this. Not one bit. "What is it?" I asked cautiously.  
"Emi, you are to mark Tatsuko as the next librarian, should anything happen to you." The killing intent that was rolling off me was making the _Kyuubi_'s look like a spring picnic. And that was the intention. "There's more, 'Tsuhi. Emi needs to accompany me on the battlefield to make this work."  
"**WHAT**!" I am starting to like this less and less.  
"There's more. She's going to have to... die... to pull this plan off." He closed his eyes, knowing that I was going to punch this shit out of him.  
He eventually cracked an eye open to see what the hell was going on and he saw the one thing he didn't count on. "I think I preferred the punch." He said, almost apologetically. What he didn't count on... was a tear cascading down my cheek instead.

* * *

Emi and Minato just left. My heart couldn't take hearing this grand plan of his, so I just hugged Emi as tightly as I could and kissed her one last time. What's worse, is the Emi left her _Nohkan_, telling me to give it to her little girl... our little girl... soon to be only my little princess.  
I looked at Tatsuko, sleeping uneasily in her crib alongside Yuuna, who had cried herself to sleep from the pain of the sealing. I think I'm broken now. Because tears never affected me before. Sad, isn't it? Konoha's Ice Dragon has been fractured, and is defrosting...  
But hearing Yuuna was one thing... watching Tatsuko writhe in pain... she hasn't opened her eyes since Emi used the Living Library _Fuuin_ on her, and the whimpering isn't helping any. She's making sounds like she wants to cry, like she wants to say something.  
Her wanting to say something is biologically impossible, of course. And yet her lips are moving and an almost puppy like whining and whimpering is constantly permeating the air.  
Emi had complained that nothing will ever be the same, and the sad nod from Minato didn't help... but I assumed she meant because Tatsuko would never get to know her mother...  
So much I don't understand, so much no one is saying. Not that I really have the mental capacity for understanding it anyway – not after tonight.

Naruto isn't even here for me to guard. Minato took him to the battlefield to seal the _Kyuubi_ within him. What must that feel like? Sealing a _bijuu_ into your day old child – not once, but twice on the same day.  
What does it matter? That is his problem. My problem is my little girl. We'll never see her mother again. The love of my life, my soul mate.  
Left with only a parting kiss, sweet and soft. And the look in her eyes. I'd trade places with her in a second. Now all I have left is little Tatsuko... and the fatality rate of that damn jutsu isn't really leaving a lot of hope for even-

Yeah... I most definitely am broken.

* * *

**~Route to Nami no Kuni, Present day.~  
****~Narrator's POV~**

"_**I – Inu – Tori – Saru – Hitsuji... Kuchiyose no-jutsu!**_" Tatsuko slammed her left hand on the ground before her, waiting patiently for the ones she called upon. The second the smoke was cleared away for her to see five silhouettes she explained why she chose that moment to summon them. "An old friend has shown his ugly face again. I have a debt that must be paid in full. Will you help me?" Five pairs of blue eyes simply stared at her.  
Well, nine technically. Aoba, Kiba, Akamaru and Hinata were also wondering why a summoning was taking place – to put it mildly.  
Especially Kiba and Hinata. The only people they had ever heard of with summoning contracts were the _Sannin_ and the _Hokage_! "A...a.. ano-" Hinata was trying to say something intelligent. Hell, she would settle for not stuttering right now. But she was finding it hard to work her jaw for some reason – given that she was mimicking a fish out of water.  
The smoke eventually cleared enough to see... "S-s-s... Samurai?" Well, to be fair all that could really be seen was the armor and some patches of white fur here and there. Still, the sloping helmets, demon depicting face masks, puffy armor that would hide any hint regarding to the gender, the shoulder armor with what looked like a stylized ninja rabbit striking with a sword, armored sleeves, a _daishou_ combo tied at their left side with the curve of the blade pointing up, the pants and weirdly formed shoes – they were larger than normal samurai shoes, in that they had bent to accommodate the clearly not human wearers (the foot looked to be three times larger than a human foot, and the legs were much more muscled).

"Tsu." The one that stood in the center nodded – though it appeared more like a bow of sorts.  
"Yukie." Tatsuko nodded in much the same way. "Yukimaru, Koritetsu, Touketsu, Yukima. It is good to see you all." No one other than Tatsuko seemed capable of telling the difference between the five individuals – they looked like _bunshin_, exact copies of each other.  
The one marked as Yukie made to remove its (her?) mask. "Tsu." With the mask now held at its side, Team 9 was now face to face with Usagi Yukie, Tatsuko's summons... an arctic rabbit. "Help?"  
Tatsuko nodded gravely. "Momochi Zabuza is targetting Hikaru's team. I'll need you four to take those nuke-nin to Anko and Ibiki." The four still masked rabbits were already moving to untie and subdue the two ex-Kiri ninjas, clearly having no qualms with taking orders from their summoner. "And you, Yukie. I need you to warn Hikaru's team. As well, gather my... things. We are going to war."  
Yukie walked up to the Tatsuko, placing a four-fingered, armored glove on her shoulder. "Glad. See. Tsu." Yukie ground out. She seemed to be having trouble speaking, though whether that was the rule or the exception wasn't clear.  
A tear stole onto the blonde's cheek before she could help it. "I'm glad to see you too... Yukie." In stead of placing her hand on the rabbits shoulder to return the sentiment – whatever it meant – Tatsuko wrapped her arms around her long lost friend. The top of the blonde's head was right under the rabbit's chin, with one's forehead resting against the other's throat.  
"Tsu..." The rabbits eyes seemed suspiciously shiny – what that meant, the others weren't sure.

* * *

'_The seals are coming loose again._' Tatsuko thought as she lay there. Aoba had called for a break so everyone could eat. The lone blonde of Team 9 decided to take a quick nap, telling Kiba to wake her when it was time to go. '_After all the effort and planning that went into those mental blocks to not have to see my parents and clansmen die over and over again... Do you know what that's like? Actually feeling the Kyuubi's teeth ripping through your mother's liver, stomach and heart in one chomp. Then the follow up bite that severed her legs, and a good portion of her bowels and spine._'  
'_Then feeling her nearly lifeless body being swallowed and bathed in gastric juices. Feeling her skin dissolve, literally melting off of her. Seeing it through her eyes, feeling every nerve in her body through her memories._'  
'_Would anyone like to walk a mile in my shoes? No. Don't even act like you would, even if it was to save me from it. No one wants my life, no one wants me._'  
'_That's why I'm alone. Because everyone is going to die sooner or later and leave me._'

"Tsu, _sensei_ wants to start heading out. Let's go." Kiba nudged his sleeping beauty, trying to wake her as as they'd agreed. Little did he know that she wasn't asleep. At least, not in the sense that he would be able to sleep.  
With the seals once again loosening, her dreams were coming back. And with the dreams coming back, the memories were coming back with them. Memories of the two people she had blocked out to save her sanity... '_yeah, i remember the exact day i sealed those memories. the exact moment even._'  
She was standing on the hill just outside of Konoha, looking out over the Uchiha district as it was bathed in darkness. With Yuuna and Hikaru passed out behind her, and Mikoto bleeding beside her. The Uchiha matriarch had gotten off easy, with Yukie - Tatsuko's personal summon – biting Tatsuko's right hand to keep the _Eiyuu_ from severing the bitch's lung.  
"Tsu!" Kiba rocked the lithe form before him from side to side, trying harder to get her to wake her up.  
"Kiba, look at her." Aoba-_sensei_ warned. "She's comatose. The first of the seals is wearing off." Comatose she might have been, but she was able to clearly hear everything around her. And right now she's cursing her Saru-_ji-chan_'s big mouth.  
"Wha'z zat mean?" Kiba asked, clearly worried. Tatsuko's cheeks turned a bright pink/soft red from the blush raising more than a few eyebrows of her team mates wondering what was going through her mind.  
"Nothing good for whoever she fights. But I'll explain that later, you're going to need to carry her until she wakes up." Aoba said it mostly to test Tatsuko's reaction. Not being disappointed with brightening blush. '_She might be in coma, but she can sense everything around her. That __Seikatsu Toshokan Fuuin no-jutsu__ really is dangerous!_'

Without hesitation, Kiba lifted Tatsuko halfway so that he could hoist her onto his back – after adjusting his Fang so that he knew it would trouble her during the run. "Alright, _sensei_, let's go." Was all the Inuzuka said, nodding to Hinata to tell her not to worry.

* * *

Team 9 continued on, making sure to keep well out of sight. Tatsuko had already revealed the identities of those involved in this mission. Leaving out the details of how she knew Momochi Zabuza, though Aoba knew about that too. The Hokage had actually been pretty forthcoming when Aoba approached him on the matter just after Team 9 had passed the _genin_ exam – the second one, at least.

**~Flashback, Hokage's office, one hour after Team 9's exam ended.~**

Sarutobi Hiruzen was once again doing paperwork. Oh how he hated paperwork. He knew that the new _genin_ teams were being tested, so he tried to get this out of the way so that he could offer the _jounin_ reports the attention they deserved.  
It wasn't even ten o'clock yet, but the Hokage could feel a _chakra_ signature making its way towards him. Something was off with the _chakra_ source though, he could feel worry and agitation lining it. While wondering what that meant, the door to his office opened without a knock. Yamashiro Aoba entered, closed the door and slammed his hands on the desk in an attempt to ease his anxiety through his fists into an inanimate object instead of into his voice to upset his superior – who could still kill him if the man felt threatened enough. An odd idea, really, but Hiruzen understood it.  
"_Hokage-sama_, care to explain why a _genin_ uses more B and A-class _jutsu_ that I do? _Hijutsu_, might I add." Aoba wasn't messing around, he meant business and he wouldn't take any half-assed explanations.  
"Ah, Aoba-_kun_, I was wondering when you would come to me about that. I honestly didn't think she'd reveal this much this soon." Hiruzen smiled warmly, clearly approving of something.  
"Huh?" So much for the cool, composed persona that Aoba had cultivated over the years.  
"Have a seat, there is much to say and you aren't going to like any of it." The Hokage was already flashing through handseals to cast a privacy _jutsu_.

**~End flashback~**

'_Hokage-sama was right, I didn't like a word of it._' Aoba thought bitterly. He kicked another branch to keep his momentum up. Sure, you can consider it landing and jumping again, but you have to stop for that to be accurate.  
A lengthy, and more than a little disturbing, description of the _kinjutsu_ followed, along with Tatsuko's medical history. It turns out that _Fuuin_ damn near crippled the eight month old Tatsuko, leaving her in a coma for just under three years. Which was actually pretty damn good, considering that it pretty much ripped her braincells apart and put it back together.  
The human brain is designed to work well enough with only five percent being used at any given time, and actually even less in babies and young children. Simply put, the seal changes that, hijacking seventy percent of the brain and 'stocking the shelves' with scrolls, videos and the like. The fact that Tatsuko survived at all is a miracle, and as a coping mechanism her psyche created a form of Multiple Personality Disorder to make the whole process seem more natural. 'Seem' being the keyword here, there is nothing natural or normal about that _kinjutsu_. It was forbidden for a reason after all.  
Add the trauma inflicted by Uchiha Fugaku, and constantly being bombarded by memories of death and destruction... well, it really wasn't that shocking that she was a little unstable.

**~Flashback, Hokage's office, later during the explanation.~**

Aoba was breathing as best he could, but it was still ragged as he seethed at what Yukikami Tsu has suffered through all her life. "Lucky for the Yondaime that he's dead, 'cause I'd be the one to kill him if he wasn't." Aoba said flatly. Hiruzen could only nod at the statement. It was theoretically treason, but he understood the sentiment.  
"There's more, I'm afraid." The words hit Aoba like a _kunai_ through the heart. She suffered more than just that? "When she was eight-"

**~End flashback.~**

Aoba understood his student better than most now. He could see the canvas of her mind, and the paints used to create the picture she showed the world. But more than that, he understood her residual anger at the world – and the Uchiha clan specifically.  
That was why he had been watching her so fanatically since he became her _sensei_: he felt responsible for her. And from the looks Hinata and Kiba were wearing, he wasn't alone in that.

* * *

**~Back in Konoha, Uchiha District~**

Uchiha Sasuke just got out of the bath, still dripping wet – having not toweled off properly for some reason. He walked through the hallway, up a flight of stairs and through what seemed like a random door. Thinking the whole way about how cursed his existence had been up until that point.  
Upon entering the master bedroom, he looked and saw four bodies strewn about his king sized bed. Each of those bodies began writhing in ecstasy upon seeing him. A pinkette, a carrot top, and two brunettes.

Mikado Himura had really come through with that list. It turns out that other than the first few encounters with the _dobe_ and his brigade, he had nothing but success. Including the redhead, Karin – a gift from Kusa. True, she was just a genin like Sakura and himself, but she would do. Then there were Akame Yurika age twenty-four, from the Code team and Shiranui Kaori, age twenty-eight, a nurse from the hospital.  
Now he had the four wombs he needed, he just needed to knock them up. Which he can honestly say that the four of them were more than willing to help him with. Surprisingly all four were virgins when he got there – he had them inspected by a doctor before he did anything. So there would be no doubt as to the parentage of the offspring.  
Still, they were a temporary fix. They just had to give him what he needed to shut the council up so he can make the necessary maneuvers to ensnare Yuuna, Hinata, Tatsuko, Tenten, Natsumi and Hana. Oh no, he hadn't given up on them, they were just playing hard to get to make the chase more thrilling.  
Though the Kohaku brat was giving him the least trouble lately. He could probably start making arrangements with her father within the coming weeks to claim her as his own.

"Sas... ke... sa... ma..." The whimpers were enticing if nothing else. He dropped the towel, which was the only item he wore.  
"You know what to do." Was all he said, turning around and laying down on the bed to be pleased by his harem. "Get started."

* * *

**~Elsewhere in Konoha~**

"Yuuna, you want some?" Chouji offered some of his chips. Something that Yuuna would normally be grateful for, but something had been bugging her all day.  
"Thanks, Chouji-_kun_, but I'm not very hungry..." Was all the redhead would say. She seemed out of it, after seeing Team 7 off yesterday, and Team 9 a few hours later. She had never felt this alone in her life – even with Kou hanging around her as a safety net, at Hinata's request.  
"They'll be back soon, don't worry." The big boned wonder soothed. Being the only one on the team with a younger sister, he was actually the only equipped to sniff out her moods. "In the mean time, they'd want you to keep practicing so that you can show off what all you've learned while they were away." That seemed to strike a chord within the girl.  
"Yeah, they would, wouldn't they..." A smile peaked out like the sun from behind a cloud. Slowly, that smile morphed into a more determined and steadfast sign that she was going to do just that.

Asuma just sat there, smiling at his students. It was weird how quickly the three of them seemed to grow on each other, and on him. Shikamaru was the mellow one – much like Asuma himself. Chouji was the gentle one, but he packed a punch like you wouldn't believe. He could break you in half if you weren't paying attention. And Yuuna... she was something of the soul of the team. Her mood dictated how well the team did at any given time.  
If she felt lazy, Shikmaru would use that as an extra excuse to cloud gaze, if she was hungry Chouji and her would drag them to the nearest restaurant for a 'quick bite'. If she felt restless, she would help Asuma whip the boys into shape – never taking 'no' for an answer from any of them.  
Oddly enough, she never made fun of either boy for their eccentricities. Ever. She took them as they were, and just used it to motivate them when needed.

"You know we can actually hear you. _Mendokusei_..." Shikame – who preferred to be called Ame for short – was really just a shorter version of Shimamaru. Well, other than the red bandana he always wore.  
"Ame-_kun_, b-be nice..." Futaba said. She was probably then only shy Yamanaka in the village, but no one seemed to mind that in the least. How the picnic turned into a sort of family reunion of the Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi was still a mystery for the sole _jounin_, but he didn't mind too much.  
Choumi was only a year younger than her brother Chouji, and brought Inomaru (Ino's second cousin) who happened to be her best friend – or so she claimed. Ame was coming already, so Inomaru brought his little sister Futaba, who happened to be Ame's classmate.  
Yuuna was having the time of her life though – aside from missing her family. Everyone was trying to make conversation to drag her thoughts away from that so that she didn't start fretting again.  
It didn't take a genius to figure out that the girls were fast becoming good friends, despite the age difference. '_It's good to know that Imouto-chan is making such good friends._' Chouji thought, smiling as the three girls started talking about how Yuuna made the _bentos_. Little did he know that said little sister was thinking the same thing about him.

As for Kou... well let's just say that he was in complete and utter shock over the whole thing. He had spent his whole life hearing about how unstable _jinchuuriki_ were, and how dangerous they were... then he was instructed to guard Yuuna.  
Yuuna was nothing like he had expected. She was a bit shy at times, like Hinata-_sama_. She was a bit rash at times, like Naruto. She was a bit bossy when no one else would push to get something done, like Tatsuko – and even Kou's own mother to be honest. And yet, she was gentle-spirited, like Kou himself.  
Kou just didn't understand it at all. She was nothing like what people portrayed _jinchuuriki_ to be. Why? What made her so different? Was it that she had always had someone there to guide her, to love her.

In his own experience, Kou knew that most people around him were more demonic than this amiable little girl. And to add insult to injury, Naruto and Tatsuko – who were proclaimed to be the very definition of a demon – were fiercely protective of her. A trait that was not really ever used to describe demons at all. Demons are know to be destructive, mindless killing machines that did nothing but hunt down the innocent and rape, kill and/or eat them. Or at least, that is what Kou had been made to believe.  
So why are these so called demons so... different?

**~Flashback, Kikyo Castle, Hinata's first night as a Senju~**

Kou had just finished washing up, having completed his self appointed duties of cleaning Hinata-_sama_'s sleeping quarters for the night. In the morning there would be a lot more work – of that he had no doubt, but he didn't mind. He was used to being busy, so sitting on his hands while everyone else was busy would be sanding against the grain of his soul.  
After entering the hallway on the fourth floor, which he basically had to himself, Kou was a bit taken back to see Tatsuko-_sama_standing in front of the door to the room he intended to claim as his own. He wasn't even sure how she could have known that.

"How does it feel to live in a house full of demons?" She had asked as soon as he was close enough. Her face was emotionless, and he eyes showed an active _doujutsu_ Kou was not familiar with.  
"I'm not sure what-"  
"You know of Naruto's status of _jinchuuriki_ of the _Kyuubi_... and I am almost certain you know of mine with the _Sanbi_..." That last part was barely a whisper, but Kou could hear the pent up frustration behind her words. "But did you know about Yuuna being the _Yonbi_'s _jinchuuriki_?" Kou's eyes went wide, almost refusing to believe it.  
Yes he had heard about two _bijuu_ being kept in Konoha – all the clan heads were privy to that otherwise classified information, and Hiashi-_sama_ had made sure to educate him in many different clan related facets. Forbidden knowledge – or otherwise secretive clan _jutsu_ and history – was something that you needed to trust someone with and telling them of a secret that was no longer technically applicable (the _Yonbijuu_ had disappeared with the _Kyuubi_ attack) was an easy way to test that trust.  
Still, it was never explained how the _Sanbi_ made its way back to Konoha. As far as Kou could remember it was a gift to Kiri to end the war nearly fifty years ago. "You are well informed." Kou said, though the glazed over look in his eyes betrayed his lack of knowledge.  
"So how does it feel like live in the same house as us demons?" She asked him again.  
He didn't answer immediately, actually thinking about it before saying something stupid or overly polite – he was sure they would both seal his fate in her eyes. "Surprisingly peaceful." He decided. "I will admit that I had wrongly expected many things to happen, but none of those fear have come to pass."  
They were both silent for a long moment. Although Kou felt a faint buzzing in his ear for some strange reason. "In fact," He continued, feeling something had to be said. "I am beginning to believe that the villagers and even some of the Hyuuga elders, have the wrong impression of you."  
"That is a lot to gather in three hours." She stated coldly. He was under the impression she didn't believe he was being sincere.  
"Perhaps, but I can see the respect you have in this house. A respect that is free from fear and oppression. Unlike the respect the Hyuuga Main Branch has within its own clan." He held firm on his opinion, not flinching under her unblinking gaze. Frankly he was used to that kind of thing from Hiashi-_sama_.

"Very well, Senju Kou. Though I would advise you to remember those words. I may not be a demon like most believe, but I'm both as strong and vengeful as any demon you've never seen."  
The backhanded compliment made Kou wonder. She accepted him in her clan, but not so much as to not warn him to tread lightly. "Perhaps in time I will earn that respect from you as well?" He asked carefully. Something was bothering the young woman, and badly. He just wished he knew what it was.  
"Few ever earn that level of respect from me. Do not fault yourself if you never do." Now Kou was officially confused. She wasn't threatening him, she wasn't warning him. She was, in fact, protecting his sense of pride from her lack of trust in people.

That shouldn't make sense – and it certainly made none to him.

**~End flashback.~**

_Jinchuuriki_. Living breathing contradictions to what people believe them to be. Kou just smiled as Yuuna giggled with her peers. Something one of the boys had said, he guessed.  
Perhaps he would come to understand them better in time? He certainly hoped so.

* * *

**~Bordering sea between Hi no Kuni and Nami no Kuni, with Team 9~**

Tasuko had 'woken up' not more than an hour ago, complaining that she had a killer headache. Aoba didn't seem surprised, but he was very worried. Team 7 had just left on a boat, and the mist seemed more than thick enough to hide in so if they were going to leave, now was the best time.  
"You sure you're okay?" Kiba and Aoba asked at the same time. The only reply they got was a swat at Kiba's shoulder.  
"_Imouto-chan_, we're talking about an hour, or more, running across open waters." Aoba said cautiously. Truthfully he wasn't sure Kiba or Hinata could handle this at all, but he would be there to catch them if they fell – literally.  
"This isn't the first time I've come here, or the first time I've had this kind of headache." Was all she said, omitting whether she had a headache while running across these waters.  
"Tsu-_chan_, you want me to carry you again?" Kiba asked, smiling at her. He seemed to enjoy getting her flustered, and he wasn't disappointed with her blush.  
"_Ecchi_." She swatted him again.  
"That almost sounded like a complaint." Kiba smirked, then had a thought. "You know they say that doing 'it' is really good for headaches. Got a minute?"  
"If a minute is all you need, then no." Tatsuko shot back, blushing deeper than ever. She hadn't said 'no' outright. A fact wasn't lost on the chuckling _jounin –_ though Kiba was too embarrassed at his choice of words – the time frame specifically – to even notice.  
"Ha, ha, ha. Can we go now?" Kiba announced. Trying to bolster his wounded pride.

They all dashed across the sea, running up the waves and skidding down the other side. Sure, it wasn't that bad close to shore, or in shallow water, but once they got to the channel that truly separated the mainland from the island nation of Nami it was like a freestyle roller coaster. There wasn't much to see, other than water and mist, so they all paid attention for any signs of enemy shinobi.  
They made sure to keep Team seven well within Aoba and Hinata's range – Tatsuko's headache notwithstanding, she had the shortest range with her _doujutsu_ – the entire way.

There was a bridge of sorts, but it was halfway done. Still, it was easier to scale the bridge and follow from up there than it was to keep on the waves. So Aoba led the way, rotating scouting duties with Hinata every fifteen minutes or so to not overwhelm either – for the girl's sake mostly. It was doing wonders for Hinata's chakra reserves though, so she didn't complain. The responsibility, that is.  
Once on the bridge, Hinata took out a soldier pill and immediately gulped it down. She might be stronger than she was a month ago, but constant use of her _Byakugan_ and running on water for an hour wore her down more than she was letting on. Or more than she was trying to let on. Aoba and Tatsuko didn't miss the signs of acute chakra deprivation on her. Kiba noticed too, but that was because he sniffed in air every time he breathed. Inuzukas were trained to monitor their surrounding like that, and he could smell _chakra_ reserves in a sense – don't mind the pun.  
"Two shinobi lying in wait. One tall shirtless, with his face covered in bandages, the other short with a Kiri ANBU mask. Might be an _Oinin_, but they don't work alone." Aoba analyzed quietly. Everyone sat down, obviously enjoying the ability to stop moving for a few moments.  
"That would be Haku, the demon brothers don't know anything about that one other than that he's dangerous." Tasuko explained. The _jounin_ didn't once complain about the skill set of his team, and he wasn't going to start now. They could literally never be caught by surprise if they worked together, but that was a dangerous ideal to believe in. Arrogance is easy to succumb to, and it's even easier to die from it.  
"They only have their eyes on the group with Kakashi-_san_. They don't know we're here, so we keep our heads low and wait for the opportune moment to strike." Aoba instructed. He got a round of nods, and Kiba was seen taking a soldier pill as well, just in case.

At that point it became much more apparent that Tatsuko was the most dangerous '_genin_' on the team, because she – like Aoba – didn't take a soldier pill, just some rations to let their bodies recover the lost _chakra_ naturally.  
'_This could be interesting._' Aoba thought, leading the way towards Team 7. '_Tatsuko hasn't truly gone all out yet, and she seems to have some kind of vendetta against Zabuza. But then, he's the guy that..._' It made sense, to Aoba – but he had studied Tatsuko's files in much the same way that Kakashi studied that little orange book of his.  
Still, even with her official records memorized, he knew nothing of he actual skill. None of her _jutsu_ were registered, her speed didn't match her records either – which was normal since you tend to get faster with proper training.  
And the collection of seals on both her arms weren't described either – not what they looked like, their purpose or what they were called. All that was said is that they were there.

'_Interesting indeed._'

Naruto had just thrown a _kunai_ at a shrub where the tall one was hiding, who immediately _kawarimied_ with a rabbit. '_Bad choice, that's an arctic rabbit with it's winter fur. Kakashi-san would never be fooled by that._'  
Once the oversized sword was frizbeed at Team 7, Aoba instructed his team to start moving in on the one hiding in the trees. '_It's kinda pathetic that someone as notorious as Zabuza would only have three underlings. Oh well, easier for us._'

* * *

**~Nami no Kuni, near the lake, with team 7~**

"Get down!" Kakashi warned his students, though only Ino seemed to listen. Hikaru and Naruto decided to play deaf, until the butcher's knife was less than a meter away from them. Two smaller blades were unsheathed, then reinforced with wind _chakra_ and cut the larger blade in three pieces.  
The true danger of that throw would have been the weight of the blade. But once cut in three, it was much easier to simply knock the pieces out of the air.  
"_Ne_, Kaka-_sensei_, if you train as a weapons user isn't the first thing you learn to not lose your weapon?" Naruto asked, a big smile on his face. He then whipped out a scroll and sealed the pieces of the sword into separate seals on it. The scroll was then itself sealed with a complex _fuuin_.  
'_Naruto knows fuuinjutsu?_' Kakashi's jaw dropped, almost far enough for the mask to fall off his face.

"Uhh..." Both Kakashi and their assailant were shocked. Suddenly the sound of laughing could be heard.  
"I gotta hand it to you kid, you've got balls the size of boulders." A tall man with no shirt, gray arm warmers that also doubled as gloves – though Naruto would later describe them as lady gloves – black and white camo pants and gray shinguards that were connected to his shinobi sandals was standing on a branch, more of less where his sword was meant to hit. The thing that stood out with him though was that he had no eyebrows and the lower portion of his face was covered in bandages. Well, that and the _hitai ate_ that covered his left temple with a slash through it.  
"And I gotta hand it to you, you're smart – hiding your ugliness behind bandages like that. It takes a real man to admit he's sacred of his own reflection." As much as Hikaru tried to fight it, he still had to laugh at the look on Zabuza's face. The giant tick mark and the otherwise completely blank face was just too good to not commit to memory in his opinion.  
"Wait a minute, I know you." Zabuza eventually announce. "But from where...?"  
"Momochi Zabuza, AKA the demon of the hidden mist. Registered in the Bingo Book as an A-class _nuke-nin_. Known weapon, the _Kubikiribouchou_ or the _dantou_ for short. A _Suiton_ user, most notibly the _Kirigakure no-jutsu_, simply because it enables him to take out his opponent before they even know he's there. A master in the art of the silent kill." Kakashi recited from memory.  
"I feel honored, Copy Ninja, but I was talking about the slightly less shrimpy one over there."  
"Hey fuckface, it's been a while, _ne_?" Hikaru waved with a very unhappy glare. "You know _Usagi_'s going to want your head on a stick, right?"  
"Fuck. HAKU!"

It was already too late. Haku was already knocked out, and tied to a log in plain view. "You know, Zabuza-_chan_, next time you shouldn't tell your underlings anything about the mission if you are going to send them after Konoha ninjas. It really isn't smart." Tatsuko announced not even bothering to hide where she was. "I could tell you more about your plans than even you would know."  
"How did you even survive, _Usagi_?" Zabuza asked, already plotting a way to get the hell outta there. Kakashi was one thing, but Kakashi, _Usagi_ and _Shirokuma_... and being disarmed. That was something else entirely. '_If they're here that must mean that Tatsu is here too. If he's here, I have no chance other than to use Haku's heritage as bait. That is, if she didn't use that jutsu of her's yet..._'  
"By dying slowly, one day at a time. Like you were meant to." Suddenly a green limb ripped out of Tatsuko's back with a kind of crab's claw at the end of it. Then another ripped out... and another.  
All three limbs were snapping at Zabuza like little turtles."You mean-"  
"Yes, Zabuza. The _Mizukage_ you were so fixated on killing is already dead. Has been for years." Tatsuko intoned. "And thanks to you and your little buddies, I am the one that took your place as _jinchuuriki_."  
"Then again, that was probably the fucking point to begin with. Why else would they send for back up from Konoha? You assholes were baiting us to fuck it up in the first place. You wanted us to attack your Mizukage to start a fucking war so that your coup d'état would be easier." Hikaru added. Doing his damnedest to glare a hole through the former Seven Swordsman of the Mist.  
"So in fact your mission for Gato serves no purpose. Not that it matters, since we're just going to kill you anyway." Tatsuko finished, her three extra limbs shaking from excitement of tasting blood once more.

"No, we're not, Tsu." Aoba appeared behind his student, putting a hand on her shoulder. He did make sure to apply just enough chakra so that he would stick to her if she tried to move away though. "Momochi Zabuza, give yourself up and we'll just take you in for questioning before turning you over to Kiri. However, you can fight us too, I'm sure Tsu would just **love** to show you how smart that is."

* * *

Tatsuko was pissed. No, not pissed – pissed off is much nicer a feeling than this. She wasn't even seeing red, she was seeing green! She wanted nothing more than tear tear something, rip something, break something – especially if that something was vital to Zabuza.  
'_Talk about fucking anti-climactic! I came all this way, got myself all fucking worked up so that I could finally shove something sharp where the sun don't shine and this is what I fucking get!_' The blonde was pacing. Circles, squares, triangles, she even tried making up shapes and forms just to figure out the best way to pace it into the living room floor of the bridge-builder's house.  
She didn't pay attention to the introductions, so she only guessed that this was the bridge-builder's house because of the big ass unfinished bridge that Gato wanted to never reach completion.  
"_Sensei_! Fuck this, I can't stay here. Either we leave or I meet you all back in Konoha." Announced the irate blonde. Everyone was just staring at her. Naruto and Hikaru understood though – the others knew, other than Ino since her memories were already folded away, but Hikaru and Naruto actually understood.  
"Great! We'll leave these two here then, and make our way back." Aoba motioned towards the two _nuke-nin_ that were tied up and partly frozen in place – courtesy of Hikaru's _jutsu_. He loved freezing the nerves that gave the signals to muscles to move, it was just so much fun.

"WHAT? The two that were hired to kill me are staying in my house?" The bridge-builder cried out.  
"They're safer here than anywhere near her right now. Trust me, Kakashi-_san_ can handle him and his associate." Aoba explained calmly, though the old man didn't seem to comforted by it. "Kakashi, is that acceptable to you?"  
"So nice to know that you are thinking about _their_ safety right now." The woman with long black hair announced.

"_Yare, yare_. This was my mission to begin with. You're backing us up is done, so get outta here. Make sure to keep that little blonde busy though. She might end up ripping a few heads off in Konoha like this."  
"Well, it was fun kiddos. Ciao." With that, Team 9 _shunshinned_ out of the house, already making their way towards the coast. Though Tatsuko made sure to give the unconscious form of Zabuza a wilting glare. Clearly already plotting ways to kill him the second he got back to Konoha.  
"Well that was interesting..." Kakashi observed, wondering when the two _genin_ brunettes learned to _shunshin_. "So Naruto-_kun_... what's with the _fuuinjutsu_?"  
"Kaka-_sensei_, I spent the last year with 'Karu and _Nee-san_. What did you expect I was doing with my spare time?" Kakashi wouldn't admit it, but Naruto made a damn good point – he couldn't imagine those two twiddling their thumbs for more than five minutes if there was training to be done.

* * *

**~Flashback, Hokage Tower, four years ago~**

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the four standing before him. Three males – two tall, one short – and a short female. These were his most prized ANBU, his most deadly team. Still, he felt uneasy with sending them to fulfill the request he'd been given. He understood the willingness of his shinobi to complete the mission, seeing that they would also want to end the Bloodline Purge in Kiri and the outlying villages and towns.

But This was his granddaughter he was sending, and that made him nervous.

"_Tatsu_, _Neko_, _Shirokuma_... _Usagi_. This mission is not one I feel comfortable with, but I trust in your skills to complete it without fail. The information is in the scroll and I'm afraid we can afford to aid you in any way during the mission." Hiruzen explained, his voice low.  
"Understood. We leave immediately." The one with the Dragon's mask intoned. Hiruzen tossed him the scroll and let his eyes linger on the little girl with the Rabbit mask before wishing them all luck and a safe return.  
Still, the four of them _shunshinned_ out of the office quicker than the old man would have liked. _Kunoichi_ or no, he loved his granddaughter and didn't want to lose her. Still, she would never tolerate his protecting her – she never did.  
The Sandaime Hokage rubbed his eyes, hoping to prevent the headache he knew was coming, and just decided to go to lunch earlier than planned. He needed a drink – there was simply no way he would get through the coming days sober.

Four ANBU were dashing through the trees, both faster and quieter than you would expect. They had been traveling for just over three hours and were already nearing the coast of Hi no Kuni. _Tatsu_ was certain that any other team would have needed a day to cover the same ground, but this was **his** team. He had trained his three subordinates since they could walk, so he knew how hard he could push them. Though pushing them to cross the sea right now was not something he would risk, so he signaled for a break.  
"_Taichou_, what's the mission?" _Usagi_ asked, eyes aglow with curiosity. _Tatsu_ could see her _doujutsu_ active, so he didn't mind indulging her right now – she'd warn them if anyone was close enough to overhear anything vital.  
"The Mizukage has been slaughtering his own people, specifically people with _kekkei genkai_. So a rebel group within Kiri wants help in taking him out. We are to meet our contact on one of the islands where we will discuss an ambush for Yagura." Simple enough right? Sure it was, seeing that there were only four Konoha ANBU dispatched...  
"_Hokage-sama_ wouldn't order a suicide mission like this, so who is our contact?" Neko asked.  
"Momochi Zabuza. He and two other Swordsmen are leading the rebellion." Tatsu explained. "Anyway, we're far enough away from everything. So we take off any identifying mark on us. If you can't take it off, cover it up." To accentuate his point, Tatsuhi took off his mask and _hitai-ate_, hiding them both within the cloak he wore. "From here on we work only with our ANBU code names, and _suiton_ and _ototon_ _jutsu_ only." _Ototon_ was better known from _Ta no Kuni_ _shinobi_ than a Senju and _Suiton_ could just as easily be _Kiri_, or _Ame_, or _Taki_... or any other major village. It seemed tactically sound to the other three so no one made a fuss.

Tatsuko put away her Rabbit mask and the _hitai-ate_ she had masking the lower portion of her face. Her _Hyouhiryugan_ was still blazing, studying everything that moved around her.  
Hikaru put away his Polar Bear mask and _hitai-ate_. His forehead kept a slight pigmentation difference, showing that he hadn't taken that thing off in recent memory.  
Tenzou also took of his Cat mask and the old fashioned forehead protector. Tatsuko always teased him about that thing, saying that he could passed for one of her cousins with it on – other than the German Sheppard eyes and hair he sported.

The four sat down together, consuming their rations and washing it down with water. Saying that one could 'eat' rations bars was a bit of a stretch. Either one chokes on it, or swallows it whole to avoid the melodrama. Still, everyone understood what malnutrition can do before facing a _kage_...  
Not a whole lot of talking was going on, just planning. Even then it was either signed, or simply done in one's own mind. _Tatsu_ was proud of his team, damned proud. Nary a complaint ever passed their lips – not something you'd expect from two eight year old ANBU operatives. Still, _Tatsu_ worried about the mission. Too much was dependent on their contact for his liking. Imagine four _shinobi_ against as much or more bodyguards AND the _kage_ they're defending – who just so happens to be the _jinchuuriki_ of the _Sanbijuu_.

'_This plot better be perfect, or I'm pulling my team out. No point in wasting lives needlessly – especially my daughter's and son's lives. Tenzou too..._'

* * *

**~Rendezvous point on unnamed island in _Mizu no Kuni_, fourteen hours later~**

_Tatsu_'s team had arrived three hours before the appointed meeting time, choosing to rest a bit and set up some traps – just in case. _Tatsu_ handed everyone a cloth to cover their hair and face as best they could and made sure that everyone knew their role.  
_Usagi_ was support, _Neko_ frontline, _Shirokuma_ the shadow and _Tatsu_ the point man. _Neko_ would make contact with their target, _Tatsu_ acting as his second in command while _Shiokuma_ and _Usagi_ hid within range of their respective _jutsus_.  
Although _Tatsu_ and _Neko_ were getting some seriously twisted pleasure from the bugged out eyes of their previous contacts when they notice half the team should be wearing diapers. They loved it more than they should.

**#Six bogeys approaching from South-East. Less than fifty meters. Strong.#** _Usagi_ signed to her teammates. _Tatsu_ tensed visibly, with _Neko_ motioning for him to calm down – as per the script.  
Three shadows dashed into the clearing, meeting up with the two visibly present. "Keh, this is what Konoha sent us?" The tallest of the bunch complained. His beady eyes were already grating on _Shirokuma_'s nerves – he usually doesn't like people, but he can't stand this one.  
"I dunno, _Taichou_, the shrimpy one under that shrub could make for some good bait." The second tallest announced, firmly earning him his slot on _Usagi_'s list of people she wouldn't mind killing. A short list, with most already crossed out.  
"I say we bury 'em, then we starting digging Yagura's grave." The final one announced. "Funerals're always good for a laugh."

How do you best confuse three elite killing machines that are looking down on you and threatening you? "Good evening gentlemen. Nice weather we're having, _ne_?" _Neko_ welcomed them warmly.  
"Well, their polite if nothing else. How long do you think it'd take to skin em alive?" The tallest one asked. He took a few steps forward, letting the moonlight hit his pale blue skin and showing off the shark's gills tattoos he had just under his eyes. The hilt of his blade – with a mini-skull decorating the tip – visible over his left shoulder.  
"Depends on who you send, _Taichou_. Seeing that only the runt's blades can skin at all." The second one stepped up, pale white skin, no eyebrows and the bottom half of his face covered in bandages. _Usagi_ was already memorizing his _chakra_ signature in case she chose to... help... him during the mission.  
"The runt? I'll enjoy your funeral more than most." The last one stepped forward, his eyes wide with what could only be described as raw, unbridled insanity. He's the type of guy you cross the street just to not be near him. Well, one thing was for sure, the hump on his back wasn't helping him at all.

"Kisame... Zabuza... Raiga... Interesting that two of you would revolt." _Tatsu_ intoned, glaring at the insane one just to rub him the wrong way.  
"Wow, you know our names. You might just think we were famous, ne _Samehada_?"  
"I'd quicker say crazy." _Neko_ replied, his voice completely monotone. _Tatsu_ and _Usagi_ both instantly knew that it was _Shirokuma_ talking through a _jutsu_ though.  
"Well, as much fun as shredding you to pieces would be, we're not here for idle chitchat. Tell the guppies to heel and let's get to it." Kisame instructed. Which caused _Tatsu_ to pause.  
'_He spotted both Usagi and Shirokuma? That's actually impressive._' _Tatsu_ signaled for his team to fall in behind him.

"I'm _Tatsu_, these are _Neko_, _Shirokuma_ and _Usagi_." The leader of the Konoha's team announced. Earning a frown from their Kiri counterparts.  
"No names, huh?"  
"We recognized you, or you'd have treated us the same. Now call the _chuunin_ you have with you, and tell us the plan." That wasn't a request.  
"Are all tree huggers this uptight?"

* * *

**~Mizu no Kuni, Lakeshore, Three days later.~**

Four shinobi were walking down the path to their destination – wherever that was.  
One had blue hair and glasses that he kept having to nudge back into place with his finger. He wore a blue long-sleeve shirt that sported black pinstripes and a... vest(?)... with Kiri's _hitai-ate_ sown in. Possibly a Kiri Swordsman, seeing that there were two swords hilts sticking up over his shoulder, but still he looked no more than fourteen.  
The second one had green cape that covered most of him and a staff that looked like a big dentist's toothpick – and let's not forget the flower attached near the end. He had a tattoo/scar that started just under his left eye and trailed off into the neck of his cape. His gray hair and purple eyes clearly showed that he was either the Mizukage, or high off more drugs than a small country could produce. That aside, his gait had an undertone of elegance, and an air of grace and nobility hung around him.  
The last two were ANBU wearing matching gauntlets/gloves. One with a Seagull mask, the other with a puffer fish mask.  
Oddly no words were being spoken among the traveling _shinobi_. Something that would usually indicate either they were on a mission, or just didn't like each other. Or a combination of both.

One foot in front the other seemed to be the mindset of this foursome of _shinobi_; they were obviously in no rush to get anywhere. To make matters worse, the bespectacled, blue haired boy with the sword... well he was spending much of his time enjoying the scenery. A bit too much time, from a professional point of view.  
So much time in fact that he saw nothing wrong with two eight year olds playing in the lake with no parents – or anyone responsible-looking – anywhere nearby. Or the slight buzz of a _genjutsu_ that some elites can sense as they are placed under it. He honestly thought it was a sign of calm euphoria washing over him at the innocent sight.  
So imagine his shock when he finds that he cannot move... or breathe. The last thing he honestly can say he remembers is the sound of the lullaby his mother used to sing to him when he was young.

The _genjutsu_ faded, showing two short _shinobi_ wearing what looks like navy blue hoodies standing on the water's surface. The girl was playing her flute while the boy held two fingers in his mouth like he was whistling. "Phase one, complete. Commence phase two." The boy turned to the girl just as his words wafted to the group behind him.  
Five pillars of water raised out of the lake, slowly taking form and revealing a group of shinobi. "How long do we have?" Kisame asked, wondering why this was going so well.  
"Less than five minutes. This is the dummy group, the actual Mizukage is keeping to the shadows less than a mile that way." _Tatsu_ answered, pointing due South.  
"Fine, let's just get this over with. Zabuza, you and Raiga are the first contact. Once the guards are dealt with, I'll sweep in and wipe the floor with the bonehead." Kisame instructed.  
"Roger." With that two swordsmen were off, heading in the exact direction Tatsu had just pointed.  
"You four already know your job. Do it well." Kisame said, obviously feeling that something was off. It's not uncommon for a _shinobi_ – even the elite – to feel nervous about a mission like this. Especially since they were technically there to kill their own leader.

**#Trouble on horizon. _Taichou_ is nervous. Watch closely.#** Tatsu signed to his team, receiving only nods in response. They immediately set about tying up the _shinobi_ whilst they dreamed. **#Good work.#** Four _shinobi_ down – luckily without a fight – only six to go.  
Still, their job was to subdue the _Sanbi_ if – well, when really – it escaped its host, capturing it in the heavy jar the _Kiri-nin_ provided. The fighting would be Kiri's problem – since the last thing Konoha wanted was to have fingers pointed at them if this went South. Er... nevermind...

It wasn't even ten minutes later that the world went to hell. Raiga and Zabuza killed the Mizukage's entourage with relative ease – as easy as beheading training dummies since there was no warning at all. The only problem was...  
"So, you've turned your backs on our village?" Yagura Ichiro was the Mizukage for a reason. He had his two Ulnas in his hands, wielding them like blades and holding off the two flanked attacks with ease.  
"No, we've turned our backs on you." Zabuza intoned.  
Yagura, who had both his elbows above his head and his hands resting against the back of his shoulders, simply turned around. A normal enough action in and of itself... had it not been for the fact that he was twisting the bones in his arms and partially in his ribcage beyond breaking point and still holding off Zabuza's _dantou_ and Raiga's twin _Kibas_ at the same time. "Have you now?"  
The Konoha nin and Kisame watched as Yagura closed his eyes, reopening them to reveal... the Sharingan!

**#Uchiha used Mizukage. Control **_**fuuin**_** on left shoulder blade.#** Tatsu signed, thinking back on the horror the Uchiha unleashed on Konoha before.  
**#Mission endangered. Help?#** Neko asked, though the look on his face clearly showed he wasn't interested in lifting a finger.  
**#Negative. Watch. After Taichou engages, we reevaluate.#** Came the expected response.

Zabuza and Raiga weren't holding up very well. Each time they slashed at the Mizukage, he answered by blocking their attack and firing a few Phalanges at them. It was clear that not only way Yagura toying with them, he was conserving his energy. He'd been tipped off.  
"i'm going in. stick to the plan." Kisame said before dashing into the fray. The Konoha nin eyed the situation, judging this to be a lost battle as it was, but saw no harm in watching the Kiri-nin get knocked about a bit before stepping in. At the very least, they could wear the _jinchuuriki_ down to either going into _Bijuu_ mode, or actually killing him and releasing the _bijuu_ that way.

Either way suited _Tatsu_ just fine.

**~End flashback~**

* * *

**~Coast of Nami no Kuni, with Team 9.~**

Tatsuko awoke to the sound of waves hitting the shore, and seagulls shrieking about fish... or catching up on the local gossip. She didn't really understand the squawking so she didn't try to figure it out.  
"Welcome back to the land of the living." Aoba teased the blonde – something she didn't seem to like very much, given that she was growling at him.  
The irate blonde looked around, rubbing her left eye with the back of her hand. "how long was i out?"  
"Depends on what you last remember." Aoba soothed, keeping an eye on Kiba – who was fishing – and Hinata – who was gathering herbs in the nearby woods.  
"honestly... delivering the demon brothers to ibiki and anko..." She got up, trying to stretch her sore muscles. She felt like she had been hit by a runaway boulder. Repeatedly.  
"Oh. How'd you get here then?" He looked out at the sea, with no land in plain sight ahead.  
"kiba must have carried me." Tatsuko answered. There was no deception in her voice, no sign of hiding anything at all. Hell, if she wasn't wiping away the tear from her cheek and playing it off as rubbing the sleep from her eye, Aoba wouldn't believe she knew anything at all.  
"Then why aren't we heading towards Kakashi-_san_'s team?" Something is blocking her memories, and Aoba suspected that something was Tatsuko herself. She was consciously folding her own memories away for some reason...  
"We aren't?" She looked confused.  
"Kiba! Come over here a second will you?" Aoba called out, getting no response from the boy. "KIBA!" Still nothing. That was when Aoba chose to notice the light green chakra that was making up a barrier or sorts around them.  
"_sensei_..." The blonde's voice was cracking, and the tears seemed to be flowing more readily.  
"What's wrong _Imouto-chan_?" Aoba asked, rushing to her side. He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to smile bright enough to make her troubles go away.  
"it's getting... harder... to fight it..." She struggled with her words. Her breathing was becoming steadily more ragged, her voice more hoarse.  
"Fight what?" He asked. She wasn't making any sense to him, at all.

"i... so... bu..."

* * *

**~Location unknown.~**

Tatsuko found herself on a rock. She just sat there for a moment, collecting herself... and trying to figure out how she managed to get there – again.  
Around her she could only see mist. Mist so thick you could beat it with a whisk and turn it into whipped cream. She eventually tired of just sitting there, so she decided to see what the almighty turtle steak wanted from her this time. He'd gotten more and more itchy lately for some reason.  
Step by step, she made her way deeper into the mist, eventually making her way to a frozen lake. "Isonade-_sama_, what do you need with me?" She tried to be polite, but there was just something bugging her enough to set her on edge. Unfortunately that something was a vacuum sucking up the mist, which meant that nothing was hiding the mountain sized turtle from her vision – even if there was a thick layer of ice separating them... and only one eye was visible.  
"Isobu is tired of waiting. Isobu wants peace. _Nee-san_ promised Isobu that no more people would get closed to Isobu." The imagine of a single eye wide with anger burned into Tatsuko's retina, refusing to leave her be.  
"I want that peace more than you, Isonade-_sama_. However, I have much to do. And your little tantrum is not helping me in the least." She retorted, her tone as cold as the lake's surface.  
"Isobu knows what _Nee-san_ is doing. _Nee-san_ is releasing the seals. Is _Nee-san_ going to release Isobu too?" The eye was smiling now, clearly happy with that plan.  
"For you to trample over those precious to me?" That was obviously not the best observation to make.  
"Isobu cares nothing for those people! Isobu wants to be alone and Isobu can't be alone with all those things walking around Isobu's shell!" The angry voice boomed in Tatsuko's ears, nearly shattering her eardrums. "Tell that **thing** to stop touching Isobu's shell!"

* * *

**~Back on the shore of _Nami_~**

Aoba, Kiba and Hinata were staring at Tatsuko. She'd been shaking for the last fifteen minutes, clearly writhing in pain and emitting a constant, mute scream that never seemed to want to end. The other times she passed out had all been peaceful, she was simply sleeping for prolonged periods of time. This time... this time she looked like she was being torn apart!  
It was heartbreaking. Seeing their comrade in agony and not knowing what to do... Hinata was to first to break down, weeping into her own hands. Aoba was wracking his brains for something – anything – that might help. Kiba on the other hand...

The Inuzuka gathered the lithe girl in his arms, holding her close. He was constantly whispering things into her ear, hoping that she could hear him. Things like, "Tsu, come back to me... don't you know... I-"

* * *

**~Back with Tatsuko.~**

"Tsu, come back to me... don't you know... I love you..." Kiba's voice, his breath, was kissing Tatsuko's skin. She could almost swear she felt his hand caressing her cheek – a feeling she simply couldn't get enough of.  
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ISOBU'S SHELL!" The ground started shacking. A loud thumping sound like something was trying to break free. Something big, that is. "NO ONE TOUCHES ISOBU AND LIVES!" The ice cracked – just a hairline, no harm done... right?  
Without a word, Tatsuko whipped out her _Nohkan_ and began playing a lullaby. With each note, a prayer was said – she prayed that she could hold the _bijuu_ back so that her team wouldn't die at her own hands... she wasn't foolish enough to believe it would never happen again.

And the growing crack in the ice wasn't helping in the least.

**~End Chapter 27~**

* * *

_**A/N: And that marks the latest chapter of Hi no Ishi, and the first chapter of the Usagi Gaiden. A lot of the earlier alluded plot bunnies are going to be coming back in full force within the coming chapters, so please be prepared for some cliffhangers, and two more major climaxes coming up. This climax was a bit of a dud, no argument there, but there are more than enough versions of the Wave Arc out there. I see no point in rehashing an Arc that has been told more times over than there are verses to 'the song that never ends'.  
**_

_**I trust that this will set the needed pace for the action coming up sooner than you might think. **_

_**Eiyuu – Literally means 'hero'. It was Tatsuhi's wakizashi before his death, now falling into Tatsuko's hands. She uses it as an executioners sword, much like he did.  
**__**Seikatsu Toshokan Fuuin no-jutsu – Living Library Seal jutsu. The kinjutsu that turned Tatsuko in a living library, with the entire history of the Senju and Uzumaki clans, their jutsus and all their skills locked away in her memory.  
**__**Hijustu - Hidden jutsu, not a bloodline limit, more a family secret. Like the Nara's justsu, or the Akimichi's, or the Yamanaka's.  
**__**Oinin or Oinin butai – Hunter ninja. A special branch of ANBU in Kiri (though I suspect they wouldn't be the only ones to have ANBU specialize in this) that hunt down Nuke-nin (Rogue ninja)  
**__**Kubikiribouchou – Decapetator's blade (literally the Decapetating Carving Knife). Zabuza's big ass blade.  
**__**Dantou – Seversword. A nickname given to Zabuza's blade.  
**__**Ta no Kuni – Land of Rice (patties), which later becomes known as Oto no Kuni (The Land of Sound) thanks to Orochi-teme.  
**__**Ame – Rain (refers to Amegakure no Sato, a minor village)  
**__**Taki – Waterfall (refers to Takigakure no Sato, a minor village)  
**__**Hyouhiryugan – Ice Dragon Eyes, Tatsuko's doujutsu.  
**__**Ulna – The long bone in the forearm. If the arm is in a resting state – not pivoted – it is the bone to the pinky finger's side.  
**__**Phalanges – The bones that make up our fingers. One phalange makes up the base, middle and tip of each finger though they vary in size and thickness.**_

* * *

**~Omake: A walk to remember.~**

Team 9 had just completed yet another D-Rank mission: babysitting. That little brat was getting worse each time they saw him, and they were actually glad that Tora was their next probable mission! Still, that wasn't anyone's problem until after lunch, their afternoon training and the long ass walk from the Senju District to the Hokage Tower afterward.  
"I say we tie the brat up next time." Kiba grumbled, rubbing the still forming bruise on his cheek. He wasn't sure how a three year old managed to head butt him, let alone doing it twice, but he was positive he wanted to kill that good for nothing little-  
"Is our fearless leader getting chills from a toddler?" Tatsuko teased, her eyebrow raised in curiosity.  
"That ain't no toddler! That's the devil's child! _Shinigami-sama_ must've sent him back because he wanted some peace in hell!" Kiba griped, getting a giggle out of the blonde. Neither of them were sure where Aoba-_sensei_ or Hinata-_chan_ were, but they weren't complaining just yet - it was nice to be together.

They continued on for a while, just talking. Something that she couldn't seem to get enough of when it came to him. He kept telling her bold or weird things that no one else would have the balls to say around her, she kept blushing or giggling or swatting his shoulder when she thought it was appropriate.  
It's funny, if you didn't know any better you would think they were arguing about something - the two neglected members of Team 9 certainly thought so. And worse yet, even with Aoba and Hinata being right next to the pair, they got the distinct impression neither Kiba nor Tatsuko knew they were there.  
A fact that was compounded repeatedly, when Aoba would ask them something and would get completely ignored.

Even when the four of them made it to the cafe where they always had lunch together, Kiba and Tatsuko were in their own little world. "Just give us the regular, and don't bother asking those two anything." Aoba told the waitress.  
"Sensei, th-they l-l-look so h-happy." Hinata blushed, daydreaming about her and Naruto acting the same way.  
"Yeah... they do." Aoba agreed, thinking about giving his childhood crush a call, maybe just to catch up for old time's sake. There was just something both innocent and contagious about his two students that made you think...  
'_Yeah... maybe I should just drop in by Hana. I'm sure she won't mind having an extra hand in the clinic..._'


	28. Arc4: How does the cookie crumble?

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Usagi Gaiden (Rabbit Tales)**_

_**Everything is falling apart! Tatsuko isn't even sure she can repair it any longer. How will our hero come to her rescue? Will there be a happy ending?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Konoha Hospital, Tatsuko age 4~**

**~Tatsuhi's POV~**

"Once upon a time there was a proud _shinobi_, stronger than any other in the land. His name was feared by all, and few dared even whisper it." Today is your fourth birthday, sweetie. You look more and more like your mother every day. You have her face, her eyes, her hair, her fingers, her toes. I think about you all the time, just as I think about her.  
"... when he moved, all you could see was a yellow flash. Until it was your turn, then there was nothing." Can you even hear me? Do you know that your _Tou-chan_ comes to see you everyday? That I love you more than anything? When are you going to come back to your _Tou-chan_?  
"_Iwa_ had tried to ambush his battalion, they were surrounded. Yet Minato did not fear. He handed everyone a dozen of his three pronged _kunai_-" Hikaru comes to see you too, he talks about you all the time. He's already mastered the basics, years earlier than most would learn it. He says he wants to get stronger so that he can protect his _Nee-chan_. Not even four years old, but he won't stop training – he's probably still working on the _Bunshin no-jutsu_ I showed him this morning. He's going to surpass his father, I just know it.  
"The ones left standing were running, screaming his name in fear. They never saw what happened, they just knew that-" Hikaru's mother hates that I spend so much time watching you sleep – she says that I can better spend my days tending to her son. I think she still blames me for Suipou's death. I can't blame her, as it was my duty to guard both him and Minato. Still, I can't help but feel closer to Minato-_nii_ than Suipou, even after their deaths.  
"nnnn..." Tatsuko-_chan_ complained. You've been doing that more and more lately, something that Kenichi-_sensei_ says is a good thing. He said that it shows that you are at least partially aware of your surroundings, which is why I come and tell you stories every morning. Something about the sound of a familiar voice helping to rebuild the brain wiring.  
"Hey, you want me to fluff your pillow, sweetie? I'm sure I-"

"_mi_-_zu_."  
"You want some water?" Wait... did she just-  
"_hai_." I had to fight back the tears. Somehow the logic of how you learned to talk never hit me. I didn't care, you could! Hell, I could probably fill a glass with joyful tears if I tried.  
Dashing to the sink, I grabbed a cup, filled it with tap water and brought it back with me. I tried propping up your pillow, lifting you, and calling for the nurse all at the same time. I wanted someone to share in my joy.  
"_NEE-SAN_!" Hikaru cried. His eyes were big as dinner plates, even as the tears came.

A moment that ranked right up there, next to my wedding day, the day you were born, the day I became a _genin_. All very special days I will cherish as long as I live. How was I supposed to know how tragic a tale this day would truly be?

* * *

**~Yukikami household, day before Tatsuhi's death.~**

I remember it well, child. The first thing you wanted to do was train. And Hikaru refused to be left behind. You remember that? He cried when you told him that you would help making him stronger – stronger than _Tou-chan_, were your words that day.  
I tried starting you out on simple things, like meditations and exercises to build up endurance and strength. You would just stare at me like I had grown a second head, saying that you did most of that before breakfast, and that you were ready for more.  
Never once did I believe you, I'm sorry about that. I honestly thought you were just being overenthusiastic, like Hikaru. I remember making you do the exercises again, with your brother. You would smile – the same smile your mother gave me when she was just humoring me – and you'd do it, saying that doing twice wouldn't hurt.  
Hikaru looked up to you like no other. And I doubt that will ever change. He would always say that if his _Nee-san_ can do it, then he would train harder until he could do it too. He became stronger, just because he wanted to stand at your side, as your equal. Do you know how proud that made me? Proud of both of you, because you never belittled him for it.  
No, you would just break the training into smaller steps and you would train with him until he could do it as good or better than you. You never ran out of patience with him – although I think you could learn to be a bit more patient with yourself, just a thought.  
I believe that you will be a fine _kunoichi_ – if that is what you want with your life. I also believe that you should try to take things one step at a time. I know you set your goals high, higher than _Nidaime-sama_, but remember that you are my little girl too. You should stop trying to _shunshin_, when walking will get you there safer. _Tou-chan_ has to go now, I'll try to make more memories for you to watch when you're feeling lonely. As weird as that sounds.  
Just promise me something, daughter. Promise your _Tou-chan_ that you will fall in love with a good boy. Good girls like you deserve a good boy to take care of them, you know? Well, I really do have to go, you **are** bugging me to train – again. Remember that I love you. No matter what happens tomorrow with Fugaku, I will not stop loving you.

* * *

**~Tatsuko's POV~**

**~Present day, Coast of Nami no Kuni~**

"Fucking piece of turtle shit!" My eyes shot open, showing that I was back in the 'real' world. Which would be a bad thing, since Kiba and Hinata are kinda staring at me funny. For completely different reasons, it seems. "Why are you-"  
Kiba interrupted my question with a kiss – just a peck on the lips really, but enough for me to not care what the hell I had just missed. All I know is that my arms are killing me!  
"Kiba-_chan_, I'm glad to see you too, but-" I was about to start asking why everyone seemed so worried, because I really had no clue.  
"Tsu, the seals on your arm are bleeding. Why?" Aoba-_san_ asked me.  
"Seals on...my arms...?" He was right, blood was running down my arms. I made to stand up, wondering what the hell was going on. Then... it all felt so familiar.  
Blood dripping from my fingertips... I could sense bodies strewn about... Mikoto kneeling before me, her eyes closed and awaiting my blade to pierce her heart...

What the fuck!

Everything hit me all at once. The Uchiha Massacre, _Tou-chan_'s death, my ANBU training, having the _Sanbi_ sealed in me... everything.  
The intensity of it was too much. My stomach decided to empty itself onto the sand, and my sandals.  
"Hinata... help me to take my jacket off." I instructed, already moving to unzip my jacket. She was as careful as she could, tugging at my sleeves to reveal the extend of the damage – a shame we were focusing on different things though.  
I studied my arms, the seals to be exact. Yuuna had designed these seals for me when I told her about my plans just before Uchiha Itachi came to pick me up that day. The day I donned the Uchiha name – temporary though it was.  
I remember... she cried. She didn't want me to go, and she wanted to apply the seals even less. Why? What was so important...?  
On my wrists were two stylized barbed wires, the first level of the seal. Only, the wire was bent – it was cutting into my skin like it was forcefully being torn open.  
I turned arm arms this way and that. On the inside of my left forearm I could see the Yukikami Clan Crest – a stylized ninja rabbit striking with a sword. A lot of good memories, and long history behind that crest.  
An inch above that were another three barbed wire seals. Another inch above that were four more barbed wire seals. Nine seals on each arm, eighteen in total. Only... the first two were torn. On both wrists, the seals were literally ripped open, cutting into my wrists.  
It didn't hurt – not when you're used to people beating on you regularly even in a mild spar. Still, it was worrying. Two seals... the first two were meant to hold back something, I just know it. But what?

"Any time you're ready." Aoba-_san_ crossed his arms, impatiently waiting on me to say something.  
"Um, the seals were released. Something broke the seals..." I explained, not sure who, what... or how.  
"You're acting strange, _Imouto-chan_." Sensei told me.  
"I am? Ummm... where are we?" I asked, not really recognizing anything around me. Sure, we're on a beach, anyone can tell that much. Sand, surf and sunshine is kinda hard to miss, but aren't we supposed to be doing something?  
"_Nami_." Not sure who answered me, but that would make sense. I thought that mountain in the background was familiar. "Tsu, are you okay?" I looked down at my hands... the cuts had already healed, the blood stopped flowing... and the first two barbed wire _fuuin_ were gone.  
"I dunno... I feel fine. Not dizzy from blood loss. The cuts didn't even hurt... I guess..." Suddenly something hit me. "Did you just kiss me?" I asked Kiba-_chan_, rubbing my lips to see if that was just a dream.  
"Uhh... yeah?" Kiba was confused now too.  
"What year is it?" I asked, wondering what all I had missed. Everyone looks a little more grown up than I remember them – although if Kiba wants to kiss me again, I won't complain. Kinda brings back some happy memories. Innocent, but happy none the less.  
"year?" Kiba asked, though Hinata was kinda watching me funny too. Okay... Maybe this is some kind of prank they decided to pull on me? But then again... they're wearing _hitai-ate_...  
"Oh wow!" I gushed. "You guys graduated too! Congrats!" Okay, in stead of being happy, they are just acting even more weird. Hinata's making a _Tora_ sign, trying to release a _genjutsu_, Kiba's looking around for a hidden camera like he expects me to pull off s prank on him, and Aoba-_san_... He's just staring at me. "What? What'd I day?"  
"Does the word 'triad' mean something to you?" Aoba-_san_ asked.  
"A group of three...?"

**~Flashback, Alley of Broken Dreams Orphanage.~**

_Yuuna's crying, crying so hard that I think I snapped her heart in two. I feel terrible, but this has to be done. I need to make sure this never happens again. There is nothing I can do about him controlling me – he's proven that. There's nothing I can do about him making me do anything he wants.  
__However, this should be able to fuck his plans in the ass.  
__"Yuuna, I know you don't want to. But what would happen if Fugaku forced me to harm you, or Hikaru... or Naruto? There's nothing we can do about him claiming me. We can't prove he's lying. And there's no way I'm risking anyone else I love. Please, try to understand."  
__She just cried harder. You might almost think that she was the one that just murdered her own father in cold blood – Sharingan influence be damned,  
__"Have my plans ever failed?" I asked. She shook her head, no. "Have I ever let you down? Abandoned you? Turned my back on you?" Another nonverbal no. "Then you need to trust me. This will work."  
__"But Tsu-chan... this seal... it... I... please, don't make me do this." I sighed.  
__"Imouto-chan, breathe in." She obeyed, taking in a deep breath. She breathed out, her shoulder slumping from the exertion.  
__"The seal... it'll lock away any happy memories you have. Everything. You won't even remember what it felt like for Yukikami-san to hug you. Nothing! Everything will be gone! All the memories you che-" She couldn't say anything intelligible after that. It all came out as sobs, half formed words, mumbled warble. It was like her voice became a trombone, and she wasn't used to making the notes she used to.  
__"Imouto-chan, I know the risks. Now let me ask you this: if you had to choose between your happiness and my life... what would you pick?"_

**~End Flashback~**

"Wha... how did you do that?" I asked Aoba-_san_. He just say a word... Triad... and I had a flashback. I haven't had one that intense sine I was eight! Right after the Sanbi was sealed. Weird.  
"Do what?" He asked, all innocent. Too bad the upward tug at his lips betrayed him.  
"Triad... a group of three, closely related." Nope nothing, well it was worth trying. "So what year is this?" I asked again. "How old am I?"  
"You're twelve."  
"No fucking way!" I shouted, at a loss. Two years...! Two Years! "TWO YEARS!" I grabbed my head, trying to will away the ache that this new development was bringing me. "FUCK!" Two years and only the first two seals are broken?  
"Where's Hikaru?" I asked, worried about what all I had missed.  
"We just-" Fuck no time! Message, code...  
"Tell him that three little piggies need to bend over and-"

* * *

My head was swimming, and the pain in the back of my eyes was not exactly making this shit any better. I tried opening my eyes, "FUCK!" That was bright! Note to self, the sun needs to die!  
"_Sensei_! She's comin' to!" I heard someone shouting.  
"NOT SO LOUD!" I shouted back, regretting it immediately. A fucking hangover! Jeez, I didn't think I had it in me to get stone drunk. I felt around, trying to find something to block out the light – that damn sun is going to be tortured the second it stops shining so fucking bright!  
I heard footsteps coming closer to me, they seemed sedated, but I could hear the person's heartbeat going a mile a minute. "How are you feeling, Tsu?" Aoba-_sensei_. How many times do I...?"**Don't**. Call. **Me**. **That**!" I ground out, wondering what the fucking interest in that name is.  
"Good morning, sunshine. Sleep well?" He asked seemingly intrigued by my words.  
"Like I'm pushing up the daisies." I complained. I really did feel like shit. Slowly I started feeling around, trying to figure out where the hell I was, and why I felt this bad. "How much did I drink last night?"  
"Drink?" He asked, a bit confused.  
"Yeah, if I have this bad a hangover, I must have gone nuts. I wasn't a lightweight, was I?" Fuck, Hikaru would never let me live it down if I couldn't hold my liquor like _Tou-chan_.  
"Ah." Was all he said. If I wasn't so happy for the silence, I might have made more of a stink about him not answering me.  
It took me over an hour to get up and about again. '_I swear, I'm never drinking another drop of alcohol!_' After a half decent meal we set out, crossing the sea to the mainland again. Not much happened, even up to the gate of Konoha. The only thing that seemed weird was how everyone kept fucking staring at me!  
Fucking weird!

* * *

Once back in Konoha, we made our way to the Hokage Tower. _Sensei_ told us to wait outside while he reported. Oh well, he'd call us if he needed anything. In the mean time...  
"So, Kiba-_kun_... you plan on taking me on another date soon?" I clasped my hands behind my back, trying to be as cute as any girl could be... while covered by a few layers of dust and grime – not a whole lot of bathing opportunities while running across the country, and no one seemed to want to stop long enough to take a dip in a river or something.  
"I dunno. I might be... But then, I might not be." He answered vaguely. I swatted his arm, wondering why he was being such a jerk about it. "Hey, be nice. It helps in the final decision." He teased.  
I stuck my tongue out at him. "Be that way. Humph." I pouted. "What about you, Hinata-_chan_? You wanna go on a date with me? Maybe Kiba would like to watch?" I laughed when Kiba had to staunch a trickle of blood coming from his nose. Guys love lesbians – they see it as twice the fun for them.  
"...a-a-a... a-no... I... u-mm..." Poor Hinata couldn't form more than a single syllable.  
"I was just joking, Hinata-_chan_. No need to get so flustered." I placed a finger on my chin, pretending to think about something. "Although, Naruto-_kun_ might not mind watching us make out from time to time." That did it, Kiba was knocked out cold. He had a goofy grin on his face... and a slight bulge in his pants. Dunno what he passed out from, orgasm or blood loss. Well, either way, he'll know better than to tease me like that in the future.  
Then again, he probably liked that. (-.-)''

* * *

Even though everyone takes it easy after coming back from a mission, I was in the dojo training. I hate being as weak as I am. Something inside me knows that I should be stronger, much stronger. Something seems to be holding me back, and I don't know what.  
I stood in my Rabbit Palm stance, holding my tantos, awaiting some sign to begin the kata. Something needs to spark everything, nothing changes on its own. Footsteps were coming down the hall, I could tell it was Yuuna... and she was exited about something. "_Nitou-ryuu_ – Rabbit versus Falcon!" I jumped straight up, landing feet first on the ceiling and dove down at the training dummy, beheading it with a double slash from my tantos.  
'_Where the hell did that come from?_' I didn't remember ever learning that move. I turned to see Yuuna. She was just standing there, staring at me with a wide eyed, slack jawed amazement. She started jumping up and down, happy about something, hugging me, rubbing her cheek against mine like she found me to be the cutest little rabbit she'd ever set eyes on.  
"_Imouto-chaaaaaaaaan_! What gives?" I complained. She's not usually this excitable about something. I can see something in her eyes – she's happy. Not that polite smile, or the 'okay I'll play along'... no, she's well and truly happy about something.  
"Aoba-_sensei_ said that you guys have a month long mission. Team 9 leaves in the morning, at dawn." She spoke seriously enough, but that look in her eyes isn't going anywhere.  
"Then why do you seem so happy about it? I thought you hated me leaving you for a minute?" She really is acting weird. Hell, everyone's acting weird.  
"Something that Hikaru told me about. Don't worry, he'll tell you himself when he sees you. You know how hates for me to tattle on him." Well, that seems... plausible. Those two really are pretty close, and if Hikaru has something to tell me he'd hate for anyone to beat him to the punch.  
"Well, that's fine then. No point in creating trouble in paradise, _ne_?" I teased, telling her to run along so that I can train in peace. Something that she had no problem with – for once.

'_A mission, huh? I wonder what we're going to be doing then..._' Well, at any rate, I had to finish up my training here and I had to write down the last two custom jutsu I created. Once that was done, maybe I can bug Kiba again about that second date? He seemed a bit evasive about it, and I definitely don't like that.  
Maybe he thought the first one was a bit... off?

* * *

"Congratulations, team." Aoba-_sensei_ announced the second he arrived at our little gathering by the village gate. "_Hokage-sama_ thinks you guys are ready for your first B-class mission." Didn't we just butt in on Team 7's A-class mission?  
"Alright!" Kiba was excited, and Akamaru's bark seemed to share the enthusiasm. Hinata, however, was nervous.  
"A-ano... B-b-b-bee c-c-c-class..." She clearly didn't feel confident. I put my hand on her shoulder, smiling at her.  
"No worries, Hinata-_chan_. We'll do just fine." I tilted my head to the right, closing my eyes with a smile. "We're a team, right?"  
That buoyed her spirits, earning me a little smile from her. "_hai_." She nodded

"Alright, let me just check what everyone's packed. We won't be back for a while and there will be no 'oops' moments on my watch." He went through Kiba and Hinata's packs, but trusted me enough to leave me be – especially since it was hard to check the contents of a scroll without taking it all out one by one.  
We went through the passport checks – me waving to the two guards like they were old friends – and we were off. Team 9, heading out to another mission. A B-Class mission no less. Uncle Arashi would be proud. _Tou-chan_ would just smile and say to '_knock 'em dead_' – and mean it too. Why do I feel so worried about this mission though?  
Well, whatever it is, we'll deal with it when the time comes.  
Together.

* * *

'_Kami-sama, this feels good!_' We were dashing from tree to tree, heading East-South-East. Funny how no on is really asking what the mission is. Well, whatever. It's something of a habit of mine to ask at our first pit stop.  
'_This brings back so many memories..._' And it really does. `_It almost makes me think that Tou-chan is at home worrying about how well my team will do without him to watch my back._'

Kiba's out front – his nose can pick up trouble better if our scents aren't messing with his bearings. I'm close behind him, since I am pretty much the handicap _Doujutsu_ user. Hinata is behind me, and Aoba-_sensei_ is taking up the rear. Single file, a strategic placement that works well with teams that are not quite used to each other yet.  
Kiba's picking all the landing branches – something that I think he's taking a bit **too** much pride in. Well, we'll just have to deal with that later on, won't we?  
Akamaru and Kiba seem to be chatting among themselves, I can hear every nuance from them, I just don't understand any of it. But they seem worried. That much I know.  
Hinata seems a little distracted too. What the hell is up with everyone lately? Jeez, this is why I prefer to just fold away everyone's memories and be done with it. Shit, all this bullshit is really getting on my nerves.

"So, _sensei_, what's the mission?" I asked once we took our first break around noon. Everyone was already munching on their rations, though Hinata was unusually quiet. Weird.

"Well, _Takumi no Sato_ sent out a request for some back up. It seems that a group of _chuunin_ leveled _nuke-nin_ have targeted them to steal every special weapon they can, for reasons unknown. We are to secure the village, eliminate the enemy and guard the workers until they can construct a more suitable defense around their village." _Sensei_ explained – that seems pretty straight forward.  
"Do we know anything about these _nuke-nin_?" Hmm, _chuunin_ level...  
"All of them are from Kusagakure. Three males, two females. Ages ranging from fifteen to thirty-two. None of them ever became ANBU, and there are no known monikers." Aoba-_sensei_ explained.  
"They don't sound very impressive." I opined.  
"Well, it is just a B-class. Nothing you wouldn't already be used to." He shot back, nodding slightly in the direction of Kiba and Hinata. Good point, they must be nervous. Especially Hinata-_chan_, she's fidgetting like there would be no tomorrow.

'_Well, I'll make sure to keep a close eye on both of them, that way sensei can act without worry for their safety._'

* * *

We made it to Takumi within a few days. It wasn't much of a village, just a collection of houses with a lot of anvils for the blacksmiths to use. There weren't too many people either, just under a hundred by my count. It was the definition of a village – small, out of the way and sparsely populated.  
Reporting to the village elder, we introduced ourselves and were told where we could stay for the duration of our mission. All standard stuff. Luckily, seeing that I was so out of it.  
It wasn't that I was tired, I just had this sinking feeling in my gut that something was going to happen – sooner rather than later. A feeling I hate more than an Uchiha.  
Once we agreed on a watch rotation, I settled into my futon trying to get some sleep. I would have the graveyard shift, and there were a few things I would need to deal with when that time came.

Hinata woke me up at dusk, saying that dinner was ready. She offered me a bowl with rice and fish, along with my chopsticks. I ate in silence, tossing ideas this way and that. I still hadn't figured out what was bugging me so much, and it was beginning to frustrate me.  
"y-you seem w-worried." Hinata decided to point out.  
"I have a bad feeling, and my feelings are always right." I told her plainly. "I already know it's got nothing to do with this mission. But I can't figure out what-"  
"Maybe you should take things one step at a time." Kiba announced, just as he walked through the door.  
"I wish I could." I said. I got up, thanking Hinata for the meal, and set about packing up my futon. I wouldn't be needing it until the next morning, and if there was anything I learned it's that you put away things you don't need immediately. After that it was my turn to go and do some rounds of the village.

I was more than a little surprised when Kiba decided to join me – seeing that he already did his part. Still, I wasn't going to complain just yet. Not much was being said between us, mostly because it wasn't needed – and in some cases would simply be unprofessional.  
Not much worth saying about the village – other than that it was in a forest, which was pretty much home turf for us. That would technically be true for the Kusa ninja as well, but we'll just not count on them being too skilled just yet. Still, it's best to be prepared just in case.  
We did a few rounds of the village, with Akamaru sniffing around for any interesting scents.  
Nothing special. And yet... it was all that I wanted. And no matter how hard Tsu fought it, it was all she wanted too. She'd thank me in time. I know she will.  
And yet, that queasy feeling in the pit of my belly wouldn't go away. And why do I have a feeling Hikaru has something to do with it?

* * *

Dawn came, signaling the end of my watch. Nothing happened, unless you count the village head having a drunken fit in the middle of the village about rabid mole rats stealing his shoes to get a little closer to the moon? Yup, that immediately stole the number one slot of weird shit I've seen while on patrol.  
Um, the claim, not the thief. **I** didn't see anything stealing his shoe.  
I don't even want to know how much he had to drink. Or what he was drinking – though I highly doubt it was alcohol inebriating him to begin with.

Anyway, on a more positive note: Kiba spent my entire watch with me. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done – seeing that my shift was twelve hours long and he had repeatedly told me that he didn't mind missing out on sleep so long as he could spend some time with me.  
And what's more, when we got back to our room – yes, we're all sleeping in the same room – he even asked if we could put our futons next to each other. This was a dream I had been fantasizing about for years now. It's something I'm sure all girls have thought about – sleeping next to their future husband at one point or another.  
Just because I was also thinking about whipped cream, chocolate syrup and honey doesn't mean that Jiraiya has corrupted me to my core... right?  
Anyway, we're on duty so I know he'll behave. We agreed that he would sleep closest to the door – thereby earning him the position of the only man since _Tou-chan_ to ever try to protect me. Well, to ever have me not slap him for trying to protect me.

The morning was peaceful and I was pretty tired, but I simply couldn't fall asleep. Too many thoughts dancing across my mind. Even with those perfect whole note snores. Even with watching Akamaru drifting up and down on his master's chest as they both slept. Even singing my favorite lullaby had no effect.  
The feeling that everything was going to end soon was stifling. I wanted so much to burn every imagine into my mind, to remember everything perfectly. And yet I knew it was pointless. The only hope that I had... lay with Kiba remembering it for both of us. That sucks.  
Laying there, on my right side, gazing at his sleeping form... I tried to will myself to fall just a little deeper in love with him. I tried to burn this beautiful image into my very soul.  
The slow rising of his chest. The way his nose flares and contracts when he breathes. The look of perfect peace the he seemed to glow with. I wanted to find some way to keep this with me forever. '_Why did my plan have to work so perfectly? Only for it to turn around and bite me in the ass..._'  
The slope of his nose, the bushy eyebrows, the fang tattoo on his cheek... '_If Tsu doesn't love this boy as much as I do, I'll kill her myself._' I managed to give myself a headache trying to figure out how I could pull that one off. Leave it to me to think of the perfect paradox.

* * *

Waking up in the early afternoon, I find a surprise waiting for me. Well, technically not for me, seeing that Aoba is the one walking on clouds.  
It seems that _Saru-ji-chan_ decided to send Hana, Raidou and Tsume as back up, just to make sure we were perfectly safe. I didn't mind so much, seeing that I was used to Tsume-_san_ giving me orders.  
"Tsume-_san_." I inclined my head respectfully, doing my best to not call her '_Oyabun_' like I used to. I petted Kuromaru, and nodded to the other new arrivals with some apathy – I was never one that liked people thinking I couldn't handle my mission. Still, two of the three arrivals were Kiba's blood relatives and deserved to be honored as such – no matter how much the situations stinks of _Saru-ji-chan_'s meddling.  
"Tsu-_chan_, how nice to see you again." Tsume-san greeted me. Her smile seemed to widen just that much more when she noticed the tick mark on my forehead.  
"To what do I owe the honor of having you three as backup?" I asked, completely negating the fact that Aoba-_sensei_ was in charge of this mission.  
"_Hokage-sama_ sent us. He said he feels he had underestimated the situation and wishes to correct it before things get out of hand." Funny how that same cocky smile on Kiba's face would refuse to let me breathe, but on her face it just pisses me off.  
"I see." My way of saying 'Do I look like an idiot?'. Still, orders are orders. Just don't ask me to like it.  
"As I am the highest ranking shinobi here, it stands to reason that I call the shots." Came the declaration that nearly skyrocketed my blood pressure. Still, I kept my tongue. "We will be split into three shifts. Kiba and Tsu are with me. Raido's with Aoba and Hinata's with Hana. Eight hour shifts, double linked patrol routes. Keep the radius around the village random." And so my two cent tour of hell began.

* * *

"You know, Tsu, if you keep staring at Kiba like that your panties are gonna to need changing." Yeah, my night went more or less just like that. Every time we stopped Tsume-_san_ would point out every time I even glanced at her son, then she would go on about how much of a stud her pup's become. She even went so far as to say that she would love nothing more than to be a grandmother, just not yet.  
It was hell. Mostly because I secretly loved every moment of it, but would sooner die than admit it.  
"_Oyabun_, shouldn't you be out showing the world that Anko-_chan_ isn't on your level yet?" I shot back, trying to get her to shut up.  
"What? And miss this?" Her barking laugh filled the night. So much for stealth, _ne_?  
"Miss what?" Kiba played ignorant, obviously enjoying every moment of it. I just rubbed the bridge of my nose, praying that she wouldn't hear him.  
"You mean ta tell me you can't smell her excitement when she watches you?" She tisked. "Maybe I need ta train you harder." I didn't think it was possible, but I still managed to blush just that much deeper. "Not that I blame her, she can tell how strong my son is. You're going to be such a lady killer."  
It was boiling up inside me to say something. I wanted to tell her, in no uncertain terms, that he was mine and that I wasn't sharing him for him to become a 'lady killer'. But I knew it would only make things worse.  
"I doubt she'd want to share though. Still, I'm sure she has enough stamina to keep you happy." Yup, a whole new level of blushing. Once again breaking my previous record in under five minutes. "Little Tsu, my daughter-in-law. Emi and Tatsuhi would be so pleased. Best make sure to give me lots of pups to play with."  
Yup. That was how my entire eight hour shift with Tsume-san and Kiba-kun went.  
"And, Tsu. You oughta start callin' me '_Ka-san_'." I sighed, wondering what I did to upset _Kami-sama_ this time.

* * *

Well it was easier to fall asleep after the second night. Much easier. Especially since I was too mentally tired from not chewing Tsume-_san_ out for her comments. As it turns out she was right, Anko is nowhere near her level.  
I'd spent a few weeks under Anko's tutelage when Aoba-_sensei_ dragged me into the T&I department, and I can honestly say I'd gladly be under her thumb right now. Hell, I'd rather be under enemy fire than go on another patrol with that much incessant teasing.  
Too bad I didn't have a say in the matter.

Three week had passed since Tsume hijacked our mission. Three weeks. Twenty-one days of eight hour shifts with nothing but me hearing how excited Kiba makes me. And Kiba enjoys it more and more every time. He keeps asking his mother why she thinks this, or what makes her say that. And Tsume is not the type to sugar coat anything to spare me any embarrassment. Oh no.  
Honestly I was getting to the point of either raping him, or killing her. Something was going to happen, it was just a question of what.  
What's worse was that she would smile just a little bit wider whenever we lay in our futons. She would tell me that the next day would be more intense, and that she would have Kiba training shirtless before our shift was to start.  
And she would follow through on it too! She seemed to enjoy making me drool over her boy. And what's worse, she took some sick fascination of making me spar with him – still shirtless. Even going as far as to say that I should spar topless with him!  
Yup, give me Anko any day. She's much easier to take. The only thing that gave me any level of reprieve was watching Hana teach Hinata-chan some basic _Ijutsu_. Right before Kiba walked back into my field of vision... sweaty and bare backed.  
He'd always have the knowing smirk on his face too! Like he was remembering his mother teasing me about my panties getting wet – which he probably could smell too! It was a constant battle between the abject horror of them knowing – and yes, I could tell Hana was noticing too – and a twisted arousal of Kiba wanting to turn me on like that.  
Weren't there laws against shit like that? Yes, there must be!

"You know, if you want to have some privacy to think about Kiba and rub out all your frustration... I'd understand." Tsume was consistent, if nothing else. I was just getting undressed to take a nice long, relaxing soak. Alone. Until I heard her announce her presence.  
"_Oyabun_, what makes you act this way towards me?" I asked bluntly.  
"What? Are you saying I'm lying about any of it?" There's that smirk again.  
"Why are you mentioning it at all?" I sailed around the question as best I could.  
"Why are you avoiding the question?"  
"Are you upset with me in some way?"  
"Are you always this evasive?" Pointless. That's what the conversation was. Pointless, and as far from relaxing as possible. I just decided to let it go, hoping to just get clean and get some sleep.

I was beginning to hate patrols. And I trained myself to not look at Kiba at all. It was all becoming just another mission to me. The comments slowed, until Tsume realized what I was doing and changed her tactic.  
"Kiba, maybe you should start walkin' around in the buff." Fuck. Thinking about that got my blood pumping again, and the blush on my face to deepen further. What made it worse this time, was that Hana and Hinata could clearly hear it too.

That was the point I decided it wiser to simply walk away – I'd heard enough.  
Not surprisingly, Tsume followed me. At that point I couldn't decide if she was worried about me, or just wanted to rub it in a bit further. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"  
"I want Tsu back." Was all she said, dead serious.  
"I want _Tou-chan_ back! I guess neither of us is happy then, huh!" I shot back, balling my hands at my sides.  
She just stared at me, obviously unsure how to reply. "Life is not as cruel as-"  
"As what? As Orochimaru, who killed uncle Arashi when he defected? As Kyuubi, who killed my mother? As the Uchiha that slaughtered my clansmen in their sleep?" I was through with being repeatedly embarrassed. Anything that drew up the anger needed to not let her connection to Kiba sway my desire to shut her the hell up would suffice right now. Just leave me be, just let me-  
"So you giving up on your clan will end that?"  
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!" My head was starting to hurt again and I could feel a burning sensation in my forearms.  
"We want you back. Is that wrong?" I placed both my hands on my head, trying to ease the pain welling up.  
"Tsu is-"  
"Hurt. Heartbroken. Downtrodden. But Tsu is **not** dead." Her voice was softer, gentler, than I could ever remember hearing it.  
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?" The pain was welling up, bordering on unbearable. It was like something was building up and ready to snap at any second.

"Emi-_chan_... forgive me." That was all the forewarning I got, before Tsume bashed her fist into my skull. I ricocheted against a few rocks, and landed against the base of a tree. Don't worry though, my face broke my fall.  
Picking myself up, I turned around to face my opponent. "so that how you want to play this, huh?" Her face showed no emotion, but I felt her emotions at war with her actions. Her chakra was saturated with a million different things at once.  
Still, there was no way I was going to just let that slide! '_Superior officer my ass. This bitch dies!_'

* * *

**~Clearing just outside Takumi, with Tsume and Tatsuko~**

**~Narrator POV~**

Tatsuko's hands were flying through seasl, fast enough that Tsume actually had to focus to keep track.  
'_Tatsu-Hitsuji-Tori-Tora-Hitsuji-Tatsu_ – _Hyouhiryugan_!' It had been years since the Senju had used any seals to activate her _doujutsu_, but she knew better than to underestimate this opponent.  
However, once her _doujutsu_ was active, more handseals followed. '_Tatsu-Tora,Hitsuji-Tori-Tora – __Suiton: Tajuu Teppoudama no-jutsu_!'  
Tsume was immediately on her toes, knowing those handseals well. Even though the Inuzuka was a _Doton_ user – which would technically put her at an advantage – it made no difference against Tsu. Sure, had it been any other _Suiton_ user on the planet, it would have been a moot point. But...  
Jumping back to avoid the first wave, and simply dodging the others as they came, Tsume was trying to figure out why she had to be the unlucky one to deal with this.  
Just out of curiosity, Tsume blazed through the handseals needed for her Mud Wall _jutsu_ and took another few healthy leaps back. The wall was strong enough to stop Chouza's Bullet Tank, but she still wasn't terribly surprised when round after round of Water Bullets tore through it.  
'_The only advantage I've hot over her is speed. Just like Hokage-sama said._' Tsume thought sadly. '_And this is with sixteen seals still hampering her. How strong have you become, Tsu?_'  
Well, if that was the case, Tsume was intent on taking full advantage of it. She shunshinned behind Tatsuko, hoping to make short work of the battle.  
"Nice try." The blond did a somersault, damn near wedging her foot in Tsume's mouth – had it not been for the _jounin_'s quick reflexes to block it.  
'_Not as quick as she used to be, but as mentally agile as ever._'  
"You wish to take advantage of my lack of speed? Fine. No touching. _Ototon – Kagote no-jutsu_!" Two blurry hands, each equally large as Tsume herself, popped into existence. One hand stayed close to Tatsuko, while the other seemed to ball into a fist. Kinda hard to say for sure, seeing that you can't see it directly.  
Tsume was put on the defensive this time, ducking and dodging a damn near invisible hand – on instinct alone, one might add. Luckily it was only one hand... um, fist... one appendage that was trying to squash her.  
"How the hell am I suppose to even see this coming?" Tsume asked, soon realizing that talking to herself was not smart with this opponent.  
"You want to see it? Easily arranged." A single handseal followed (mostly just to help the 'genin' focus), making the _jounin_ wish she'd shut up when she had the chance. "_Katon_ – _Endan_!" The stream of flame wasn't aimed at Tsume. Not exactly.  
No, instead Tatsuko hit her other _jutsu_, engulfing the once invisible hand and...

"Fuck." Where once was an invisible hand, balled up in a fist, was now a glowing, flaming avatar of pain and an all expense paid trip to the hospital – if you're lucky.  
The intensity of the flames were making the Inuzuka sweat, even though the... thing... was still ten meters away from her. '_That's what I get for asking..._'  
The punches were just breaking trees before, but now it was melting boulders, scorching the earth... well, let's just say that Tsume was grateful she was faster than the girl. VERY GRATEFUL! And even more grateful that she ordered Kuromaru to stay behind – this was not a battle she wished to fight, let alone risk her partner's life in.

This went on for far longer than Tsume felt comfortable with. She knew that Tatsuko would tire eventually, but it certainly didn't seem like it. What's worse, was that this was only half the attack potential, and it was obvious that even then she wasn't willing to permanently harm Tsume.  
It was grating on the Inuzuka's pride. Here was this wisp of a pup using jutsus that she obviously came up with herself, and wielding them well enough to deny any advantage. '_Tsuhi, what the hell did you teach this girl?_'

Just then, the un-ignited _Kagote_ shot out and grabbed Tsume, pinning her to a tree trunk. The other one – the one that could barbecue her instantly – hovered nearby.  
"Apologize." Came the threat.  
"Tell me how to help you." Tsume wouldn't give an inch.  
"You can't. Only Hikaru-"

Before Tatsuko could even say another word, she sensed a team enter the clearing – an ANBU team. Two males, one female. All three jumped between the combatants, prostrating themselves.  
"_Usagi_-_taichou_, we haven't forgotten your orders." The sole female announced, not even bothering with pleasantries. She looked up, showing the three stylized tears falling from her left eye on her mask. Tatsuko turned away from the familiar mask – and the memories it called up.  
"what do you want with me?" Tatsuko asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. There were motifs behind her orders, and this was not helping any...  
"_Taichou_, we need your help." The one with a jet black mask announced.  
"_Hokage-sama_ has given us a mission that we have no hope of completing without you to lead us." The last one, with a swirl on his forehead announced.  
"... what?"  
"..." All three ANBU were silent, seemingly wondering if this was the best course of action. "...Rescue and possible recovery of... a Konoha _genin_ team."  
"Look! Stop dancing around my questions! If you three refuse to respect my-"  
"_Inu-senpai_'s team." Before the words fully registered, the trees surrounding them snapped.  
"...wha-"  
"We wouldn't have gone against your orders for anything less." The female said, sadness evident in her voice.  
"Willow, report." Tsume said, suddenly finding she was no longer subdued.  
The female ANBU nodded. Launching her report with a salute.

* * *

**~Tatsuko's POV~**

"Inu's team had returned from their mission in Nami, with two _nuke-nin_ subdued. One Momochi Zabuza, the other was identified as Yukikami Haku." Willow began her report.  
'_Yukikami? That's not possible._'  
"In the absence of Senju Tatsuko, Yukikami Hikura took it upon himself to welcome her into the Yukikami clan. As a token of good faith, Yukikami Haku revealed the location of Gato's hideout, the stash of money and a horde of scrolls he'd been collecting. Yukikami Hikaru immediately announced the Yukikami clan's request to eliminate the thugs, and claim the treasury in the name of the Yukikami clan."  
'_Leave it to that idiot to actually fall for so simple a plot. They were nuke-nin for a reason._'  
"_Hokage_-_sama_ agreed, albeit reluctantly. He ordered that _Inu_ send status reports every six hours, as insurance that everything was going according to expectations. The last report arrived a day before we were sent out, announcing an ambush."  
'_Kakashi would never not report. And seeing that he, Naruto and... and Hikaru were there... odds are that they..._'  
"We agreed that seeing that a superior team has been... incapacitated... that our only hope was to re-employ _Usagi_-_taichou_ to complete the mission." Uzu announced, sadly he was still two or three heads shorter than Kage. Sad though.  
'_No, they are fine. Nothing's happened to them, they are just late reporting. It happens all the time._' I told myself over and over again. '_This mission is just precautionary._'  
And yet the nagging feeling in my gut, the same one that's been bugging me since this mission began... it just kept getting worse.  
'_Well, I'm sure that Hikaru would be smart enough to call on the Usagi clansmen to aid him. I could just summon Yukiro... if anything bad happened then he would know... right?_' That seemed like a logical enough plan.  
I bit my left thumb, smearing some blood on each of my digits. "_**I – Inu – Tori – Saru – Hitsuji... Kuchiyose no-jutsu!"**_ The smoke was less thick this time – after all I only summoned on rabbit. "Yukiro, re-" Before I could tell him to report... the smell of blood filled the air. Human blood, and rabbit blood.

"Tsu... gomen. Karu... Karu... gomen..." Yukiro's usually pristine white fur was bathed red and brown. Some patches of old blood, some of fresh blood. His left arm held limply at his side, with him struggling to offer me something with his right. My mind couldn't even take in if he was wearing his armor or not...  
"A kodachi." The words left my mouth before I could even- "NOOO!" I dropped to my knees, barely able to breathe. Tears blinding me. I wrapped my arms around me, trying to hold on to what little warmth I had left.  
The clearing was soon filled – the others must have heard my scream. '_This is what you wanted to avoid... this is why you refused to let anyone else in..._'  
I could sense someone walking towards me, their chakra lined with worry and concern. I should know that chakra signature... I know I should.  
"_Taichou_, we've wasted enough time coming here to get you!" _Kage_ warned.  
'_The longer the back up team takes... the lower the chances of survival... but..._'  
"_kage_... this is _shirokuma_'s..." I explained, my voice breaking. I took the kodachi out of Yukiro's hand, hugging it as if it were Hikaru himself. "karu wouldn't let himself fall to some simple trick... they must have tried to flank naruto..."  
Over and over again I fought the image of Hikaru-

"I understand! But there are-"  
"shut up." I warned Kage. "yukiro is hikaru's personal summons. he wouldn't leave his side if there was any hope for a single member of that team." The rabbit nodded in agreement, silencing any further argument. "the mission is no longer accurate. this is now a retrieval mission for four... corpses." That last word left a bad taste in my mouth.  
'_this is all my fault... i should have stayed with him... i should have interrogated those two before i left... i should have done something... anything..._' I wiped the tears from my eyes, looking up at Kiba. '_was sacrificing my little brother worth spending time with you... time I won't remember anyway...?_' I didn't have an answer to that.  
"What are you going to do?" Willow asked, but I could see the same question in _Kage_'s and _Uzu_'s eyes as well.  
'_There was only one answer to that question. An answer I had been avoiding for quite some time now._' My eyes locked with Kiba's, trying to apologize.  
"there is a debt to pay... and a yukikami never leaves a debt unpaid." Tears were once again spilling onto my cheek. '_kiba-kun... karu... everyone... i'm sorry._'  
I focused chakra into the remaining seals on my arms, knowing that this was the end I feared and revered.

_I-Ushi-Tatsu-Tori-Ne-Inu-Ne-Tatsu-Tora-Tori-Ushi-Tora_... "mina... gomen..." Broken Heart _Fuuin_... _Kai_!

I could feel the barbs tearing into my skin. The weeping wounds, bathing my jacket to match Yukiro's fur. Yet somehow, it hurt far less than the pain in my heart.  
Darkness was catching up to me far quicker than I anticipated. I had hoped I would have more time. I had so much I wanted to tell Hinata-_chan_. I had so much to to tease Aoba-_sensei_ about. And Kiba...

I felt myself falling, no longer having enough control over my own muscles to fight gravity. Only, I never felt myself hit the ground. A pair of arms were holding me.  
"kiba... I wonder..." If there was any way to go... it was in his arms. "could you... make **her**... love you... like i do...?"

**End Chapter 28.**

* * *

**A/N: This was where The Countdown Arc was officially supposed to end. There are several reasons why it didn't end here, but the most important one is the slightly angsty cliffhanger this chapter ends with. I'd apologize... but nah! You guys will love me when the next few chapters come out (^.^)**

**Put the pitchforks and torches down... please? (^_^)''**

**_Nitou-ryuu_ – School of two blades, a dual wielding school of martial arts.  
**_**Takumi no Sato – Artisan Village.  
**__**Oyabun – Boss. Usually only used by Yakuza, and criminals. It's kinda of Tatsuko's way of teasing her and showing respect at the same time.  
**_**_Suiton – Tajuu Teppoudama no-jutsu_ – Water release – Multiple Water bullets jutsu  
****Ototon – Kagote no-jutsu – Sound Release – Hands of Divine Protection jutsu. This was introduced when Tatsuko was defending Naruto from Mizuki, for those who don't remember.  
****Katon - Endan - Fire style - Flame bullet. The jutsu Jiraiya uses when the toad spews oil in their collaboration jutsu. **


	29. Arc4: How did you get here?

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Usagi Gaiden (Rabbit Tales)**_

_**Everything is falling apart! Tatsuko isn't even sure she can repair it any longer. How will our hero come to her rescue? Will there be a happy ending?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Flashback sequences.~**

**~Yukikami Tsu's POV.~**

_/"So, the little dragon thinks she can hold her own against the best of the best?" Jiraiya-sama announced, his long white hair flapping in the wind. His tone was more amused than anything./_

_/"Tsu-chan needs to be more careful! I almost hit you that time!" Yuuna was nearly in tears, though she was shorter than I remember . Her baby blue eyes glistening in the moonlight, even with Tou-chan and Hikaru trying to calm her down./_

_/"If you think you're going to get rid of me that easy..." Hikaru smirked, dusting himself off. The collection of bruises he was sporting almost makes me think he's been beat down by a herd of cattle. "If you can still go on, Tsu. Then so can I!" He dashed forward, intent to prove he something. I still need to figure out what./_

_/ "If I could bring back just one of your clansmen, I would gladly die a thousand deaths." Mikoto bit back her tears. "Especially your mother and father. I love them more than my own kin."/_

_/"Does Tsu-chan want some more ice cream?" Saru-ji-chan asked, almost teasingly. He petted my hair, smiling.  
_"_Mou! Saru-ji-chaaaaaaaaan!"/_

_/"Just one more round, Teuchi-jiji! You know I'm good for it!" Naruto clapped his hands above his head, bowing as he begged. I waved at the chef, signaling that I would reimburse him personally.  
__He looked at Naruto, not missing a beat. "Fine, but then you gotta promise to start doing better in school!"  
_"_A'right! You got it! 'ttebayo!"/_

_/"How much ice cream do you plan on eating in one sitting?" Tsume-oyabun asked, one hand on her hip, the other rubbing her temple.  
_"_Hey! Ice cream has a lot of much needed calories, fat and sugars to give me a quick pick-me-up before you train me into the ground... again!"  
_"_Maybe, but you need more meat in your diet! Emi-chan would never forgive me if I let you only eat desserts!"/_

_/"You really do like your sweets, don't you?" Natsumi-chan asked. Though from the look on Itachi-teme's face, I can tell he's thinking it too.  
_"_Look, I'm eight. What do you expect me to like? Veggies?"  
_"_It would be healthier." The weasel himself spoke.  
_"_A whole **four** words? You've been saving up, Tachi-chan!" I laughed at the tick mark he was pretending wasn't there./_

_/ "Kuroikage's orders." Itachi intoned. My entire being tensed for a fraction of a second. "You have done everything he asked and more, but you have not impressed him with the training yet."  
_"_So the training was meant to keep me busy while bigger fish got into position." I chuckled humorlessly.  
_"_No, it was to make you strong enough to give you a fighting chance. Six months was simply too short a time." Without warning, Itachi flickered out of view and I felt a stinging pressure at the back of my neck. The world went black...  
_"_Rest now, Yukikami Tatsuko… when you return to Konoha, your clan shall be avenged, your family's honor shall be sated."/_

_/"Tsu! I know you're not in control right now! Tou-chan's not upset with you!" Tou-chan's face was set in stone, but his eyes shone. I feared for him, knowing that there was nothing I could do – I was just along for the ride.  
__I called out for him, prayed for him, begged for Fugaku to let him be! But not so much as a syllable got passed my tongue.  
__Then my body shunshinned to him, a kunai lodging itself into his chest. "I couldn't die in your mother's arms... can I die in yours?"/_

_/"Tsu... glad?" Yukie asked, a weird look in her eyes. I guess it has been a while since I've smiled.  
_"_Yes, Yukie. Tsu is glad. Glad that I have you to help me when things go wrong. Promise me that will never change."  
_"_Hai." She nodded solemnly. I smile a little brighter, knowing that her honor would uphold that promise forever./_

_/ "Tsu! Stop!" Yukie warned. She was standing between Mikoto and me, her arms held wide to act as a barrier. "For. Honor. Stop. Please!"  
_"_You would choose her over me?" I asked, rage overwhelming any hope of logic. "She's part of the clan that stole **EVERYTHING** from me!"  
_"_Clan? Yes. Thief? No." Who cares if she hasn't done anything yet? I won't give her the chance to crush what little is left of my heart...  
__I shunshinned around the obstacle. Tou-chan's Eiyuu poised to strike through the Uchiha-teme's heart. Okaa-sama's love for her demanded a clean and painless death, lucky bitch.  
__I never got the chance. Yukie was beside me in an instant, her teeth ripping through my armguards – metal armguards, mind you – and still managing to tear into my skin.  
__I stared at Yukie in shock, anger threatening to wash away what little was left of me. Her eyes though... the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, staining any fur they touched... "Tsu... stop... please..." She looks like I've just betrayed her heart.../_

**~End flashback sequence.~**

* * *

**~Clearing outside of Takumi village.~**

Groggy. That's all I could feel right now. I couldn't feel my body, I couldn't seem to work any of my limbs. It feels like I've been asleep for a month, at least. I try to focus my mind, hoping to will away the numbness that felt all too familiar.  
Warmth seeped into me, though I can't say from where exactly. A dozen pairs of eyes are fixed on me too. I hate that feeling – people watching you in your sleep. Talk about creepy.  
Inch by inch, I can feel my body starting to wake up. I feel grimy, like I haven't bathed in days. GROSS! I know I'm in mourning, but you'd think Yuuna-chan would bug me to bathe every once in a while! And why the hell didn't Hikaru bug me about training! At least then I would be tempted to hit the sentou afterwards!  
I test my muscles, seeing if I've gotten soft. Legs, yup. My mattress feels as hard as rock right now. Arms, yup. This pillow feels like it's bronze. At least it's warm...  
Just how long have they let me just lay here doing nothing?  
Deciding to try my luck, I open my eyes. I see... green? Trees? Where the heck am I?  
"Tsu? You're awake!" I hear a familiar voice. I look a little closer to me, at the patch that was a little blurry before.  
"Kiba-chan?" What the hell am I doing sleeping in a forest? In Kiba-_chan_'s lap no less!  
"_Taichou_, we don't have time for this!" I hear another familiar voice calling me. I look around, trying to take the whole scene in at once. Only, the more I see, the less I understand.

Over to one side are _Kage_, _Uzu_ and Willow. Kage, being the impatient prick he is, is probably trying to rush to our next target. Only this time Willow seems to agree with him – she isn't smacking him in the head for trying to rush me.  
A little closer to home, I see Tsume – no ANBU mask, so it's Tsume – worry written all over her face. Her daughter is there too... Hana. Then there's Aoba-_kun_ and Raidou-_kun_. We met during one of my undercover missions in Konoha some time back – I can't seem to remember exactly when though. As well, if memory serves the three of them were _genin_ under Aunty Nanami.  
Then there's Hinata-_chan_... wearing a_ hitai-ate_. '_Good going, girl! You'll have Naruto eating out of your hands in no time now!_' Where the hell did that come from? We're ten years old! There's no way either of us is ready for something like that!  
Still a little closer to home... Kiba-_chan_. I haven't seen him in years, not since I got my ANBU mask. He seems different, older. He's wearing his own forehead protector too, and it looks like there's stubble on his face – he needs to shave? Whoa! Hairy...!  
Everyone has a worried look on their face – I can tell from their posture that my ANBU team are worried too.

I sat up, somehow finding it a little too easy to get up. "What am I missing?" I turn to Willow – naturally, seeing she's my second in command.  
"What do you remember, _taichou_?"  
"Na-" I was about to chew her out about her stupid questions – just like her lover boy. Still, she's in uniform, no given names. "Willow!"  
"We have a mission, _taichou_! Recovery of Inu's team!" Kage groused.  
'_FUCK! Kakashi..._' I feel my face screw up as if I'm in pain. '_How many people am I going to lose?_'  
"Fine, let me-" I got up entirely, suddenly wondering why I craved Kiba-_chan_ to keep touching me. '_Weird!_' "get ready." I looked around again. I could see trees, grass, people... no tents.  
"Where the hell are we?" I asked already searching through my leg pouches to see what equipment I carried with me. I'm still not entirely sure what the hell is going on, but missions take priority over confusion.

* * *

Hinata-_chan_ showed me where our room was – not sure why my stuff was so close to Kiba-_chan_'s though. So I dove into my bag, looking for my ANBU gear... and not finding it. Must have been undercover or something.  
I summoned Yukie – if I'm undercover, she's the one I give my gear to so that I can always have it when I need to. After the smoke cleared I notice the solemn nod she greets me with... and a funny look in her eyes.  
"Tsu... help?" Yukie asked.  
"Yes, my gear. Do you have it?" She nodded, the weird look in her eyes not going anywhere. "Good, grab it for me, I'll summon you again in five minutes." With that she was off.  
I rummaged through what little I had there with me. '_Who packed this?_' Nothing was where I would usually put it. Nothing. The three scrolls I always carry with my missions gear were missing, only two scrolls marked 'camping stuff' could be found... I don't camp.  
Well, not a complete loss, seeing that _Eiyuu_ was actually in one of them. The rest was all worthless junk as far as I could tell. No _senbon_, no _kunai_ – which made sense since I have my _Tessen_ in my leg pouch – no explosive tags, no ninja wire... nothing I value. Just my _tessen_, _Eiyuu_, and _Okaa-sama_'s _Nohkan_. Some rations bars and a half dozen bottles of water too. '_Seriously... What the fuck! How undercover am I?_'

Five minutes elapsed, so I summoned Yukie again. Finally recognizing my real gear! My ANBU armor, my dual katanas, dozens of senbons, bomb tags (?) smoke bombs and a couple hundred meters of ninja wire. As well, a single scroll filled with my pet projects – traps, special bombs and the like. '_That's what I'm talking about!_'  
I set about getting out of the weird clothes I found myself in. I couldn't help but wonder why I was wearing a Kiba-esque jacket dripping in blood. And started putting on my second skin. _Hitai-ate_ covering the lower part of my face, skin tight shirt, pants, gloves and sandals to ward off moisture and temperature fluctuations (I'll never understand why we have to leave our upper-arms exposed while in uniform). Then my armored chest plate and armguards. Eiyuu strapped at my waist for left handed draw, twin katanas strapped on my back with one hilt peeking over each shoulder. I gave _Okaa-sama_'s _Nohkan_ to Yukie, in case I would need that later, and restocked my pouches the way I am accustomed – whoever tampered with them is dead.  
As last, the icing on the cake... my _Usagi_ mask. I remember having to fight another ANBU for this mask when I first joined! Bastard thought he could hog it, just cause he liked the paint job on it! Broke his arm in three places just for having a stupid reason – if his sister had given it to him, then I would have actually let him keep it, but nooo.  
Any, leave the past lay. I need to get the mission parameters and get the hell outta here. "Yukie, thank you. I will be calling on you and the team soon. Make sure everyone is ready." She nodded, leaving without another word.  
'_Wait a minute... when did I get breasts?_' I must be working too hard to not even notice stuff like that.

* * *

Seeing the world through the two slits for eye-holes in my mask washed a familiar calm over me. As I got out of the shared room, I looked around to see if any was actually looking. Only Tsume-_oyabun_ and Hinata-_chan_ were anywhere in sight.  
Poking my hand up under my mask, I let loose a whistle that summoned my team. "_Kage_, target location distance."  
"Four-hundred fifty-two miles." He answered crisply. Shit, that is clear across the _Hi no Kuni_!  
"Elapsed time since last comm?"  
"Four days."  
"Known assailants?" I turned to Willow for that one, she'd know who would interest me in that bunch.  
"Momochi Zabuza. Unknown total shinobi count." That fucktard again! Fine, I guess I'll finally be able to repay his... kindness... for letting me take his place as _jinchuuriki_.  
"Members of _Inu_'s team?"  
"One non ANBU Yamanaka-" Everyone tensed briefly, obviously sensing something they weren't looking forward to. "_Yoko_, and ..._Shirokuma_."  
I was flexing my gloves when she said that, trying to work out the weird kink that usually comes from not wearing them for a while.  
"Suspected survivors?" Sure I heard recovery, but there was no way someone like Zabuza could take out all three of them. Besides, we were to recover a _genin_ team, neither _Yoko_, nor _Shirokuma_ had a genin team, and they certainly weren't _genin_.  
"..." Willow mumbled something. I focused, activating my _doujutsu_ to make sure I would catch it regardless, then waved for her to repeat. "... none."  
My eyes widened in shock, suddenly finding I couldn't breathe.  
"wha-"  
"The original mission was rescue and recovery, but you summoned Yukiro yourself and confirmed that there were no survivors." Tsume-_oyabun_ stated. Her voice firm, but I could hear the sorrow seeping in – something you really have to pay attention for, since elite _shinobi_ hide it far too well. If you don't know them, you're probably never going to notice.  
I walked up to the nearest inanimate object, and rammed my fist clean through it. The next thing I uttered felt like a curse on my tongue. A curse I was going to purge from this world as slowly and painfully as possible.  
"momochi... zabuza..."

* * *

We were dashing through the trees at far too sedate a pace for my nerves. Unfortunately, Tsume ordered that we take Aoba, Kiba and Hinata along. She, Hana and Raidou were going to stay behind and clean up. Don't ask me, I don't know.  
No clue what a _chuunin_ and two _genin_ could do to help the mission... but orders are orders.  
I'll be damned if anyone thinks they are running the show here though! They may be along for the ride, but they are babies as far as I know – or care at the moment.  
We took our first break around sunset – which pissed me off, seeing that we started just after noon! Still, no point in breaking the _genin_ on their first real mission.  
We had a quiet meal, everyone took a long chug at their water bottles, and we sat down quietly. I was waiting for Hinata's breathing to even out and her heartbeat to slow down a bit. Which didn't seem to want to cooperate. She must know that Naruto is on that team too – one of the few reasons I agreed to let her and Kiba come along at all.  
She wasn't crying on the outside, but on the inside I could feel her die a little every time she breathed. A feeling I understood all too well.  
Still, we need to get there ASAP and this is not helping us do that. "We need to go." I signaled that the pit stop was over and I noticed that Hinata and Kiba were both willing, but they were at the end of their ropes. They simply couldn't keep up.  
Well, to be fair, Kiba was keeping up a bit better, but still not nearly good enough to say I wouldn't worry about him on another three to four hour run.  
I saw the two pulling out soldier pills, proving my point.  
"Soldier pills? You're shitting me right?" More crude than I am accustomed to being, but my team understood why. "No, save that for important shit." My hands already going through the motions to summon backup.  
"Yukimaru, Touketsu." I nodded to the two I called. They nodded back wordlessly – Yukie was the only talkative one of the group. "I need you two to carry these two." I nodded to Kiba and Hinata. The former already complaining.  
"Nn." Two nods and one short battle to grab an uncooperative Inuzuka later we were heading out.

This time around we were making much better time. I kept speeding up a little every five minutes, to test if Aoba could keep up – which he had no problem with thus far. Up until the point where we got to _Tou_-_chan_'s 'cruising speed'. A speed we were trained to keep up for twelve hour runs, and a speed I trained both my _Usagi_ and ANBU teams to maintain.  
Still, no complaints from the Yamashiro. I kept my _doujutsu_ active – seeing that I was the sensor of my team – so I would know exactly how hard I could push him before he would become winded.  
I nodded in his direction, impressed with him.

* * *

Around midnight I halted the group. After reverently bowing to my partners, thanking them for their hard work, they poofed back to their home to get some rest. After that, it became a rather interesting night.  
"I still don't get why I could-"  
"Inuzuka Kiba." My eyes bore into his, focusing just enough killer intent to silence him. "Could you keep up to the set pace?" He wanted to look away – hell, he even looked like he wanted to fidget – but a low level _genjutsu_ _Tou_-_chan_ taught me long ago denied him that privilege.  
"maybe..." He relented, mutely sighing as he finally ripped his gaze away from mine.  
"No, you couldn't." I stated clearly. "Now, if you complain again about a clearly given order and I will personally see to your... training... the second we get back to Konoha. Clear?" I know my team understood what that meant, and they would give off just enough a reaction for Kiba's heritage – his sense of smell especially – to pick up on. Fear is the easiest thing in the world to smell, and the hardest to cover up.  
"Careful, _Usagi_-_chan_." Kiba didn't give an inch. "I might like it." This time, his eyes didn't leave mine.  
"Try saying that after surviving longer than five minutes." I intoned. "I'll take first watch. Uzu, you're next. Everyone else, sleep. We leave before dawn."

Everyone was asleep in under five minutes. Really, it wasn't hard for anyone to fall asleep – we'd been running nearly twelve hours. By _Kage_'s calculations we were half way across _Hi no Kuni_, which meant we had another day and a half to go. I think it'll be faster though, seeing that at least we only have two to drag along. Still, this team intrigues me.  
Aoba is at least competent. Kiba is stubborn and is conditioned to handle quite a bit. Hinata is... delicate, but I see the fire in her eyes. She is by far the weakest link in their team. But she more than makes up for it with her _Byakugan_ and _Ijutsu_ – from what I can gather.  
Maybe I can talk to him about his training set up for his team – and maybe recommend someone to fill in for the obviously missing member. He's Aunt Nanami's student after all – she'd want me to keep an eye on him for her.  
"You really should get some sleep." I spoke softly, but I knew Aoba would be able to hear me well enough.  
"So should you, but you took first watch." He countered.  
"A leader does not ask others to do what she would not." I smiled at him, to welcome him by the fire. Still, it was pointless – my mask was still on so he couldn't see it.  
"Spoken like a true Senju." He smiled, almost as if he knew I was smiling at him. There was something inside me telling me that I could trust this man. I didn't understand it, but I trust my instincts.  
We were quiet for a while, as he fished in his bag for a ration bar and tossed it into the fire. "Old tradition of mine." He explained without being asked. "For good luck." I rolled my eyes, but didn't respond otherwise.  
"You're missing a student." I said, not asking or expecting an explanation.  
"No, I'm not." He countered. That makes no sense. Two _genin_, he obviously had to be a _jounin_ – there was no real difference between _chuunin_ and _jounin_ uniform, so it was always guesswork if you didn't know for certain.  
"I count three on your team." I pointed out.  
"And I count four on yours." He smiled, seemingly enjoying the lack of logic in that. Whatever. "My third student is something of a... wild card." He said.  
"I see. Nothing you can't handle it seems. How long have you been a team?" What can I say? Company passes the time quicker.  
"A month and a half. And I'm already contemplating _chuunin_ exams." His smile would have given us away in enemy territory, it was that bright.  
"Confident." He could hear the smile in my voice. "I like your solution of turning the girl into a medic. It'll build her up quicker than anything else."  
"Who said she's becoming a medic?" He raised an eyebrow.  
"The crease on her leg-pouch." I said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Hyuugas almost never reach into their pouch. So any Hyuuga who went into their pouch that often would need something in there that her team would need. Only medics fit that description.  
"She has the temperament for it." He shrugged. Yeah, she kinda does.  
"He's front-line?" I got a nod. "Then the last one is either all-round of one hell of a long range." The problem with front-line fighters is that they don't pull back without orders to do so. That leaves the medic hopelessly vulnerable. To counter that, either you need an all round to guard the medic, or you need a long distance to pick off anything the front-line misses.  
"She's both actually." Aoba smiled, thinking about that third student. Who the hell could it be? "I'm starting to see that she could take on my job."  
"Interesting." It really was. Not often do you hear a _sensei_ with such high praises for his student after only six weeks.  
"She keeps me on my toes." He shrugged, still smiling. I could tell just from his reaction he was close to his team. Just like I am to mine – both of them.  
"If you need any help, let me know. Those two have a lot of potential, and if this third one is as interesting I'd love to meet her too." I offered. He just smiled a little brighter, shaking his head at something. "Something I said?"  
"Something like that."

* * *

Half an hour before dawn came another rather peculiar scene. "If you think you are tagging along smelling like that...!" Willow was to the point of slapping Kiba – something I wouldn't blame her for. Both he and his pup smell like wet dogs.  
"What's wrong with how I smell?"  
"It's traceable." She countered.  
"Listen up!" I got everyone's attention. "Wash down is mandatory on my watch. I don't care who thinks otherwise." I wasn't in anyone's face about it, but I would be more than happy to offer a cold shower to complainers.  
"I don't see no water nowhere." He was looking around, but his pup seemed smart enough to keep a keen eye on me.  
Ask and thou shalt receive. Three handseals later, and we had our morning entertainment. Kiba was drenched with my water jutsu – low leveled to not harm him or his partner, but still chilled just right. After that he got a bar of soap upside his head.  
"Any other complaints?" There were none, so Willow buried the fire and _Uzu_ filled it's location with water so everyone else could wash down quickly. It was something of a morning ritual with my team.  
After that it was cold rations for breakfast, and a few pokes of fun at the wet pup – Kiba, not the _ninken_. Then I summoned Koritetsu and Yukima to hoist the _genin_ for the day and we were off.

* * *

By noon we were already passing just South of Konoha. By dinnertime we were nearing the boarder. Night crossings are suicidal, so we called it a night deciding we would cross at first light.  
"We're making damn good time." Kage seemed happy – he's the least patient person I know, so the quicker we make it to the target the happier you keep him.  
**#Good news! _Kage_'s happy!#** _Uzu_ signed to Willow and me. I kept neutral about it, but Willow choked back a snicker.  
"You okay, Willow?" _Kage_ asked, concern in his voice. She waved him off, having to fight twice as hard to breathe normally now.  
"Ne, _Taichou_, who's watching Red Ridinghood?" _Uzu_ asked. Red Ridinghood was Yuuna's pet name, helps to hide who we're talking about.  
"With _Inu_... out of town... It'd be _Neko_, wouldn't it?" Willow asked.  
"Probably." Was all I said. I knew what they were doing, trying to make light of everything to set me at ease. Trying to dull the pain in my chest with menial questions that they knew the answers to just to keep me occupied. I loved them for it.

Still they couldn't stave off my curiosity for long. Eventually I zoned them out, trying to piece things together best I could. A lot of things weren't adding up. Too many things.  
No clear sign of me being undercover other than my gear being set up as such. Yukie had that weird gleam in her eye – she only gets that when she sees something she wants to see, but doesn't believe she's actually seeing it. Then there's the missing third student. And the order to take a _genin_ team on an ANBU leveled rescue and recovery mission? Worse yet and actual recovery! Is Tsume-_oyabun_ trying to break her pup?  
Then there's the Hyuuga healer? That's practically against their clan's honor code! There are no Hyuuga medics. None. Who the hell green-lighted her _Ijutsu_ training? It's not like Hiashi to allow his 'heiress' to do as she pleases, sets a bad example to the village.  
What's more! What fucking mission was I on? The last thing I can remember before waking up was talking to Hikaru about my infiltration mission into the Uchiha clan. I remember talking to Yuuna about a seal before that. But, everything seems completely different from yesterday.  
First off, there's the fact that I feel weaker. Second off, there's me waking up in a clearing in the River country! How the fuck did I even get there?  
As well, another interesting thing. I didn't have _Kage_, _Uzu_ and Willow at this level. Sure I could run them ragged one day, but the next they were practically in wheelchairs! They seem much stronger, more confident. And the budding boobs ain't helping much either!

**#Willow. What's Usagi's age?#** I signed, wondering.  
**#12. Why?#** She seemed confused, and I could see the muscles in her neck tense.  
**#Certain?#  
****#Positive!# **Twelve years old. Yesterday I'm ten, Today I'm twelve.  
**#Fuck!#** The seal must have done it's job.  
**#What's the last thing you remember?#** She asked, obviously knowing more than she let on.  
**#Uchiha infiltration.#  
****#Certain?#  
****#Affirmative.#**

Well, that's just fucking dandy. Yuuna's seal worked too fucking well! As usual. Why is it that I can never plan anything accurately once her seals come into play? Still, that only answers half the puzzle.  
"Yamashiro, who's the third student?" I asked suddenly, centering everyone's attention on me. I could feel their discomfort radiating off them like the midday sun during a heatwave.  
"You haven't figured it out?" He smiles teasingly. Fuck... that's the undercover mission.  
'_I'm gonna kill Saru-ji-chan._' I groaned, crumbling in my makeshift seat.  
"Wait a minute! You don't remember?" Kiba and Hinata both look hurt. This is why I hate babysitting.  
"No." I say honestly. It stings more than it should. Yes, Hinata is my cousin so of course that hurts her... but somehow Kiba looks more hurt than she does. Just what the hell am I missing?  
"None of it?" Kiba asked, but Hinata eyed my just as wearily.  
"The last time I remember seeing you was just after my seventh birthday." I nodded to Kiba, then turned to Hinata. "You I've seen more often, because you stalked **that** boy so much." I didn't care call any names, but everyone knew who I meant.  
"Why?" Not sure who asked, or even if I want to give a straight answer.  
"Ever since getting my mask I've been on _Tou-chan_'s team that's been guarding Naruto." Technically true, nut they don't need the details. Still, both names sting as I call them. To them, it's been two years since _Tou-chan_ died... but my heart says it's only been a month. To lose _Tou-chan_... and now...  
"That's not what I meant." Kib's upset now, noticing me avoiding the question.  
"Counter torture and interrogation seals." Aoba supplied. "That's what those seals were meant to really do. Suppress your chakra and most of your skills and memories so that the enemy couldn't get what they wanted, and completely blot out any memories to avoid mental torture scars."  
I nodded, remembering when I asked Yuuna to design them to do just that. "They were meant to wear off after the mission ended. I guess the designer got overzealous." I wanted to add ' again', but that would be a bit much. I told her to make the seal durable so they couldn't break it prematurely. Well, next time I'll just take the torture like a big girl.  
"How could that even be possible? Memories can't be erased that easily!" Kiba's reaction wasn't a happy one. Obviously something happened between us he didn't want me to forget.  
"It's like placing ten centimeter strip of masking tape on a table and drawing a thirty centimeter straight line." I explained. "You'd barely notice a difference if you only study the line, but once you remove the tape all you see is a missing portion with some residue left behind."  
"Residue?" He asked, hopeful.  
"There's a theory that not all memories are stored in the brain – which is the area the seal would have affected. If any memories are stored elsewhere I'd still remember them." Like being able to feel like I could trust Aoba.  
But wouldn't that mean...? My eyes focused on Kiba, wondering why there was this... urge... that I couldn't seem to fight off hard enough.  
"What about all those times in school then?" Kiba asked, trying to get some kind of point across. "You were there and that was before the massacre."  
"I haven't really figured that part out yet." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Messing with memories is a gray area, so I'm probably going to need some time to sort all this out." And my current mission isn't helping me any.

Kiba wanted to say more... lots more. Even Hinata was itching to add her two cents. But it was time to call it a night. All this angst is not good for my emotional stability right now...

* * *

I couldn't sleep a wink. Not since hearing about Karu... Sure, my eyes would close, my breathing would even out. But it wasn't sleep. That was just a blessing of training – my body was resting.  
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop having flashbacks of me and Karu. Training with Tou-chan, our missions together. Hell, we've been partners since I could remember.  
At first it was just training partners while _Tou-chan_ whipped us into shape. Then we became partners in crime – anything from pranks together, to just whiling out. We were officially made partners just after the _Sanbi_ incident – since he was the only one that could tell when I was going to freak out and hurt somebody.  
Well, that was one of the reasons I trained him in _Ototon –_ him knowing when I was going to freak out, not him becoming my partner. He knew how to counter my every attack, he knew my every strategy. He's even the one that comforted me after _Tou-chan_'s death. And now... we have to go and recover his body...  
I'll be the one that gets to carve his name on the monument – a tradition of sorts to help the surviving teammates cope. I'd need to bury him in the Yukikami plot too. Well, his ashes at least – you don't let bodies hang around for people to 'borrow' their secrets.  
Or worse yet, if anyone gets their hands on the secrets of the Edo tensei! I'd hate to think someone would use my family against me like that.

Well, I guess it's just me now then. Taking care of Yuuna is up to me now... not looking forward to breaking the news to her though. At least I know she'll take it as bad as I will – once I don't have to act tough in front of the troops.  
Honestly though, do the Heavens know no mercy? Sure, the calender might declare two years since Tou-chan's death, but Kami-sama should know better in my case! To lose them both in so short a time... how is that right?  
He who lives by the _kunai_, dies by the _kunai_. Well, I guess it's only a matter of time before my number is up. Pity the fool who thinks I'll not go down swinging though. Pity him, and his accomplices.  
"_Taichou_, it's time to go." I heard Willow announce. My eyes opened, not that anyone would notice since I slept with my mask on. I got up, stretched my muscles and we went about waking everyone. Dawn is in less than an hour away and we are crossing the channel to Uzu no Kuni the second we have any light at all.  
How ironic that Naruto would meet his end in Uzu. And that _Uzu_ would be part of the recovery team. That's going to get confusing really quickly. I just know it. An ANBU codenamed _Uzu_ recovering an Uzumaki in _Uzu no Kuni_. I'm sure the _Kami_ would think it's comedy hour with that one.  
Just don't ask for a chuckle out of me.

A meal and some warm up stretches later, we were all staring out to sea. There wasn't a cloud in the sky – well, not a rain cloud anyway. The waves were calm, almost soothing. And the first rays of dawn were kissing the sky. Had the circumstances been different, I would consider the scene serene.  
A shame a funeral air hung over us.  
"Move out. I want to make landfall before it gets dark." Maybe I should have summoned help then...

* * *

That night we camped on yet another beach. Only this time... everything was different. I recognized this beach, but that shouldn't be surprising since I've been here half a dozen times before.  
No, what made this beach different... was the flashback I got.  
Kiba, Hinata, Aoba... I shouldn't have flashbacks with them... And yet, a scene was playing out I couldn't quite put into words. It was fuzzy – out of focus.  
Fucking weird. And it shouldn't amount to anything. Yet somehow...  
"You look lost." Kiba teased, smiling at me.  
'_That smile..._' My breath caught in my lungs. I could feel my cheeks warming up – by far the most intense blush I'd ever experienced! '_This can't be right! Kiba and I are just childhood friends. I shouldn't be thinking about him like this!_'  
It didn't stop the feeling, ease the blush... or explain how Kiba could tell anything about me – seeing my mask never once came off. It shouldn't make sense!  
"We camp here tonight. I'll take first shift." Best to ignore him for now – I can't afford for any distractions.

A fire was made, food was cooked – fish and some fruit off the nearby trees mostly – and we partook in a quiet meal.  
I didn't pay attention to any of it. Mechanically shoveling the food down, unceremoniously tossing the leftovers of my meal into the fire to keep it going – or maybe to see the symbolic turning to ash that seemed to fit so well with the mood.  
Nothing makes sense right now. A two bit piece of shit like Zabuza shouldn't have been able to get the drop on Kakashi, let alone Kakashi and backup. There is no logical way to explain that. And yet here we are, making our way to where their corpses should be.  
The broken heart fuuin was designed to last six months to a year, not two plus years. I shouldn't have missed out and half of what I did. Granted, I would have hated missing out on anything, but this is ridiculous.  
And to make it all worse... I'm... Kiba's... when the fuck did that happen! No one should have been able to get this close to me! Ever! Not even Hika...ru...  
Tears were streaming down my face. I honestly held out longer than I thought I would.

I got up, walking into the forest. "Willow, I'm leaving you in charge." Was all I said, somehow keeping any and every emotion out of it. I didn't shunshin. I didn't disappear. I didn't move so fast no one could hope to follow. No, none of that was my style.  
I just walked. And walked. Until I got to the one tree I knew would be there waiting for me. The little hands carved into the bark faded with time, but were still clearly visible. Two hands, side by side. Carved under one was '_Shirokuma_'... under the other '_Usagi_'. And between the two a single _kanji_... 'Unity'.  
"Partners to the bitter end... _Ne_, Karu?" I don't know why I said it out loud. It just felt right.  
"He means a lot to you." I didn't have to turn around to know Kiba had followed me – no one else would dare to.  
"We came through this way on our hazing mission. Kakashi told us that it was a tradition for all ANBU recruits." I spoke my mind, not even aware of the reason. It felt right to tell him. It just... felt right.  
"We came through this way on the way back to Konoha. We were on top of the world." Him more than me. Still the bittersweet memory put a smile on my face. "We carved our names and the outlines of our palms right here. This was supposed to be our secret place."

/_"If anything happens, and we get separated, we can always meet up here. If Konoha is too far, at least." Karu said, still carved out the outline of his hand. "This is our spot, Tsu. A place no one but us can know about."  
_"_What about Inu? He's standing right over there." I told him. Boys are so weird sometimes. (-.-)''_/

I just stood there, my fingers flitting over the two imprints. My hand looks huge. Or maybe the imprint just looks small.  
I wasn't fighting the tears. Not sure what that even means – seeing as only Tou-chan and Saru-ji-chan had ever seen me cry before. Well, at least the mask is denying him the actual sight. Though I doubt he wouldn't be able to smell it.  
"It's alright to cry." Why do people feel like that makes things better?  
But then... he wrapped his arm around my waist from behind. He was gently pulling me back into his arms. I dunno why I didn't fight it. I don't know why I didn't _want_ to fight it.  
I just know that it eased the pain.

* * *

Later that night, I was staring into the fire. Everyone else was asleep – not pretending to be, but actually sleeping... I checked.  
_Uzu_ – Kitsunaga Kenta, as he was known before the Kitsunaga massacre – lay in a tree. _Kage_ – Sarutobi Jun, a fourth cousin of _Saru-ji-chan_'s – was in another branch of the same tree as _Uzu_. Those two should have been brothers, I just know it. Willow – Kohaku Natsumi – is by the fire, next to Hinata. Aoba is sleeping against the trunk of a tree.  
And Kiba... He's laying down on the other side of the fire from me. Just laying there. Snoring lightly. A perfect whole note.  
'_Who the hell snores in perfect hole notes?' 'And the way his nose flares when he breathes!_'  
Feature after feature... everything I noticed called up something in me. A feeling I've never known before. Or at least... not like this.  
So much to take in... and yet no time allotted to do so. And what's worse... I didn't understand any of it. I wanted to cry, to shout, to scream, to pummel anything that did or didn't move. I wanted to hug the nearest person, weeping as I told them my life story.  
But more than any of that, I wanted to get so drunk that I couldn't tell which way was up.

Even above that. More than the desire to breathe... I wanted to understand one thing. One thing that made less sense than anything else I currently found myself in.  
How the hell did I start liking Kiba? I can't be feeling that for Kiba. Or anyone! People aren't supposed to be allowed to get close to me for me to like them. They are supposed to be at a comfortable distance both physically and emotionally, so that I don't have to worry about losing anyone.  
Even before _Tou-chan_'s death I had learned from the cacophony of Senju long gone – who coincidentally love talking to 'the librarian' in their memories – that getting close to people was dangerous. Lovers dying in your arms, friends betraying you, allies turning their backs on you – enemies even worse, but you expect that from them. As such I never let anyone that close to me.  
_Tou-chan_, _Saru-ji-chan_ and Hikaru were the only ones that got 'close enough'.

So how the hell did Kiba do it? The same Kiba that used to eat his buggers. The same Kiba that wet his bed at night. The same Kiba that used to pick fights with me, just to see who could fight better – and somehow still got confused every time I beat him.

/_"I know Tsu-chan's stronger than me!" A five year old Kiba cried, wiping the tears from his eyes. "But one day I'll be strong enough to protect you!"_/

/_"Hey Tsu, nee-san sent an extra bento for you. Told me to give it to you or she'd kick my ass." Kiba smirked, clearly lying through his teeth.  
_"_Kiba-chan, are you trying to bribe me with food again?" (-.-)''  
_"_Depends, will it convince you to teach me that jutsu?"_/

Yeah, that Kiba... Things used to be so simple. I guess. Back then we were... well not friends, that was a little much. We hung out a lot. With _Tou-chan_ being close friends with his mom, it was inevitable. So you know what? I blame this shit on puberty!  
Fucking hormonal bullshit.

* * *

Morning came. I still got no sleep. It's times like these I'm glad I can just wear my rabbit mask 24/7 and not worry about bags under my eyes, or any other icky stuff that comes from lack of sleep.  
Today's the day. According to Kage's calculations we should make it to the ruins of _Uzushio_ just after lunch.  
"_Taichou_, are you gonna be okay?" Willow asked after breakfast. Sure, she's being quiet enough, but not for people to not overhear us.  
"I'll live." Was all she'd get out of me. I can't blame her for her concern though. Uzushio holds a lot of memories for me – it's where _Tou-chan_ would always take Hikaru and me when we needed an extended training mission for one reason or another. I don't know why – he'd always just say that the place meant the world to _Oka-sama_.  
Anyway, no point in dawdling. I couldn't summon any help for the run this time, since my rabbits would need to conserve their energy for the fighting. Kiba was more pleased about that than he should be. "Move out." I droned, and we were off.

_Kage_ took lead – what is it with guys and wanted to take the lead? All of us kinda just fell in behind him. We wouldn't need any actual formation for another few hours, but I still made sure we stuck with Southern Cross formation – crooked four point star – with the _genin_ in the center. It afforded as much protection for them as we had to offer – which wasn't saying much yet, seeing as we still had no clue what the hell we were walking into.  
Not a whole lot happened. And after the first few hundred exotic trees were passed, they became a bit more commonplace. We weren't making good time, but we were on schedule. Whatever that means in _Kage_'s world.  
'_I think Kage and Inu would end up killing each other if they were ever on the same team._' I had to choke back the tears – gotta stop thinking. Time to start doing! Kakashi will be avenged. Naruto will be avenged. Ino... is along for the ride.  
Hikaru though... he'll laugh when his murderers are in his grasp again.

The time came for the final strategy meeting. I was still mostly clueless with Aoba and his team regarding their skills – so sadly they were scouts and just keeping the hell outta the way.  
_Kage_ handed me a map – only _Kami_-_sama_ knows how he has a map for everything – which I stretched out and placed some stones to keep it in place. "Aoba should be back soon with recon. But I'll be frank, it's a formality. They're going to be in this building here." I pointed to where the biggest building was – just North-East of the center of the map. "It has the best natural protection, and is easiest to defend during an attack."  
Willow, _Kage_ and _Uzu_ made no motion to show they heard me, but I know they did. We've been through enough missions together to know that for a fact.  
"Now, we are going in with Silent Night. Willow will take this entrance." I tapped the emergency exit, to the South-East. "You're job is the basements. I think there should be three levels, but the lowest one is lower priority."  
"_Kage_ will take a window over on this side." I tapped the North side. Well, the building's round so it made little difference where that is concerned. "You need to act as my sniper."  
"_Uzu_ will the air vent on this side." I tapped the Eastern side. "It's well hidden, but you should be able to find it. Two floors up. Start on the top floor and work your way down."  
"I will be going in through the main entrance and scatter the rats around. I'll have Aoba and his team stake out the surrounding area to monitor anyone trying to get away. That way we can track 'em down if needed."  
"We only need one survivor to entertain Ibiki, clear?" Three nods, and no questions followed. After that we just sat and waited for the squirt brigade to get back.

* * *

"We're talking about fifteen floors, and more than a hundred shinobi!" Aoba was pissed. Does he know who's in charge here?  
"Yamashiro Aoba. In case you have forgotten yourself, this is an ANBU mission and you are along for the ride. **I** am calling the shots. **I** am in charge. Now, if my team has any issues with the numbers, they are more than welcome to speak up." I looked over to see three shrugs. Nope, they have no issues. "Now, if you have an issue with having your team monitor the area just say so and you can hide behind that mountain over there." I pointed over my shoulder.  
"Tsu cut the shit! I am not risking you and your-"  
"AOBA!" That got him to cool his jets. "This is my mission. My team will do their job, and they will do it well. Now, you **are** **going** to tell me where the highest concentration of walking corpses is."  
"..." He crossed his arms, seeming to almost pout like a big baby.  
"Now!" I barked out.  
"... main hall. Ninety percent of the troops are there. Twenty in the basement levels, ten on the top floor." He was clearly not happy with how things were going, but I was in no position to coddle him.  
"Good. Now I want your team to spread out and keep out of sight. Things are going to get messy and fast. And no heroics. Frankly Konoha has lost enough good _shinobi_ for one week." I intoned, already walking in the direction of the building we were going to rip apart one _shinobi_ at a time.

"Any updates to the strategy?" Kage asked seriously once we put enough distance between Team 9 and us.  
"Yes. _Kage_, you are going to back _Uzu_ up. Once you two finish up go and help Willow." I explained seriously.  
"_Taichou,_ what about you?" Willow asked. Her sentiments were echoed in the others' eyes as well.  
"I will be fine. Besides, if I attract all the attention, your jobs will be made easier. It'll work out." I said.  
"_Taichou_ be serious! We're talking about ninety plus _shinobi_ here!" _Uzu_ pointed out. Everyone seemed to think I was going to kamikaze through the front door. Which I technically was.  
"Any of you want to warm the bench?" I asked seriously, reminding them that I was in charge. Youngest on the team of not, I know for a fact that I am the strongest _shinobi_ present and accounted for. "Besides you guys are forgetting that I am not going in solo. I'm taking Team _Usagi_ with me." That was kind of a double pun. Seeing that our team is officially known as Team _Usagi_, but I call Yukie and the guys the same thing. "Now just chillax and make sure to remember that there won't be any survivors on my end. Keep someone important looking but as little trouble as possible. Okay?"  
They still looked tense. "Could you at least take Aoba with you? He looks capable." _Kage_ just had to go there.  
"_Kage_ I-"  
"We're worried about you, _taichou_. Is that wrong?" Willow interrupted.  
"I'll live." I shot back, which didn't sit well with her at all.  
"That just makes me worry more."  
"Look, don't make me overrule your objections."  
"You wouldn't even if you could." Willow countered. Fuck, mind readers and their bullshit.  
"Fine! _Kage_ go get Yamashiro then and we can-"  
"You rang?" Stalk much? (-.-)''  
"Any other complaints?" I tried to ignore Aoba anyway.  
"Nope. I'm good." They just piggied me to make sure I don't go suicide bomber on them, didn't they.  
"_Kage_, I will be sending a few extra trainings your way when we get back now. You **do** know that." The muffled sigh was music to my ears. No debt goes unpaid. "Anyway, you know what to do. Move out!" Three blurs immediately left the area, essentially abandoning me to my babysitting fate. I fucking **hate** _babysitting_.

I turned to Aoba. "Let's go. And don't die on me. That's an order."

* * *

We skulked up to the main entrance, making sure the only communication was via signs. Once there I went through my handsigns to get the party started. _**I – Inu – Tori – Saru – Hitsuji... Kuchiyose no-jutsu! **_I didn't utter a word though, stealth works best that way.  
Once the smoke cleared I was once again face to face with my second team: Yukie, Touketsu, Yukimaru, Yukima, Koritetsu and little Gan-chan. They each nodded to me, and I nodded back seriously.  
**#Battle imminent. Gan guard.#** I nodded towards Aoba. **#Yukie, with me. Others know plan. No casualties, no prisoners.#** There was a round of nods and we walked up to the main entrance – the doors were closed so no one would have known we were coming.  
I activated my _doujutsu_, taking stock of clusters and locations. Once I issued some simple orders – Yukima and Touketsu go right, Koritetsu and Yukimaru go left and Aoba stay the fuck out of trouble – it was time to crank up the music.  
I knew the others would wait until the first bang to get underway, and they had more than enough time to get in position. **#Yukie, Great Breakthrough.#** Both me and her were blazing through handsigns...  
'_Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. For thou art coming with me if I die._' _Tou-chan_ always chanted that before a major mission. I see no reason why I shouldn't. The wind picked up, and the front door flew in without any warning. Just in time for my _jutsu_ to meet hers.

'_PARTY ON BITCHES!_'

**End Chapter 29**

* * *

**A/N: Hmm, this looks interesting... I wonder what's going to happen next? Oh, and RedRangerBelt, does this chapter answer some of your questions? (^_^)**


	30. Arc4: A mile in my shoes

_**I do not own Naruto as a game, Manga, Anime series or a character. All original characters are mine though :P**_

_**Hi no Ishi (The will of Fire) - Usagi Gaiden (Rabbit Tales)**_

_**Everything is falling apart! Tatsuko isn't even sure she can repair it any longer. How will our hero come to her rescue? Will there be a happy ending?**_

_**All **__**underlined **__**terms are explained at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

**~Yukikami Compound, Tatsuko age five.~  
****~Tsu's POV.~**

"Tsu? Are you okay?" Hikaru asked. He's the only one that ever asks. Well, him and _Tou_-_chan_. I didn't answer though. No... why answer when he knows I'm not.  
If the blood running from my nose isn't enough... then the _senbon_ Sazumi shoved through my hand will be. This is what I get for trusting her... for trusting anyone.  
I hate people.  
"Tsu? _Tou_-_san_ is talking to the elders. Do you want me to take you to Kenichi-_sensei_?" How could such a sweet little boy be born from such a person? That Sazumi brought such an angel into the world...  
"i'm fine." I grabbed the _senbon_ and pulled it out of my palm, tossing it away. This is the last time any person will ever be allowed close to me. No one can be trusted.  
"Tsu... please?" He begged me with his eyes. He's worried, and trying not to cry.  
"Fine."

Later that afternoon, _Tou_-_chan_ came to visit me in the hospital. His eyes were angry. "The elders sided with her." Was all he would say about it, but his eyes didn't change. Kenichi-_sensei_ explained some things to _Tou_-_chan_... things I didn't really care about understanding. After that we left, but we didn't head home.  
Instead _Tou_-_chan_ took us to one of the training grounds. Just him, Hikaru and me. We sat there for a while, no one saying anything. I just felt so... useless. The anger in Sazumi's eyes. The anger her body shook with. I didn't even try to defend myself when she punched me – I thought I did something wrong. But when she took out her _senbon_ and tried to poke me in my eye... I raised my hand to tell her to stop, that I'd be a good girl. I looked away, praying that she wouldn't hurt me...  
Hikaru had been the one to stop her. Well, almost stop her. She got distracted when he screamed for her to stop. So the _senbon_ went right through my hand and through my nose. I don't even understand why it happened. I don't know what I did. I thought she loved me – just like _Tou_-_chan_ loves me.  
"_Tou_-_chan_... did I really kill Suipou-_sama_?" I don't even know who that is. And nothing comes up from _Okaa_-_sama_ or Tobirama-_sama_ when I ask. Just more and more _suiton_ _jutsu_... and they only kinda sound like '_suipou_'.  
_Tou_-_chan_ didn't answer. He just told me that he would be training me harder now. So that I could save myself and Hikaru if someone ever attacked me again. I was attacked? Isn't that what you do when sparring?  
I've 'attacked' Hikaru a lot, but I know I never hurt him like this before. I remember once I hit him too hard and he got a bruise. He cried a bit, but he wasn't mad. _Tou_-_chan_ wasn't mad either. So why is this 'attack' so different?  
I don't understand.

* * *

**~Uzugakure, Present day with _Usagi_ and Aoba.~**

'_Get your head in the game! No time for a stroll down memory lane!_' I chastised. Yukie was just about to cast her Great Breakthrough, so I blazed through my own handseals and we kicked the double doors open at the same time.  
The second the wind picked up I unleashed the _Katon_ – _Endan_ I had prepared. The two met not even a meter in front of us, combining into what we called the Imperial Barbecue. I liked the name, because 'Karu came up with it. He's always too damn focused on food.  
I mentally slapped myself again. Focusing on my _doujutsu_ a little harder, I expanded my range. The heat from the Imperial Barbecue blinded my infrared, so all I had was sound to guide me.

The room must have been thirty meters long and half as wide, filled almost to the brim with _shinobi_. High leveled _shinobi_, might I add. The _chakra_ I could sense off them was between _chuunin_ and _jounin_ levels!  
'_Seriously, who the fuck has this many ninja standing around?_' Well, the _conbi-jutsu_ just baked thirty of them, but that left sixty unaccounted for. It bothered me that their bodies just poofed out of existence though.  
**#Kage bunshin. High alert, user formidable!#** I signed to my team, hoping that Aoba would follow suit – or at least be able to read the signs.  
I settled into my 'battery stance', so that I could conjure up my _suiton jutsu _easier. I don't understand why, but spreading my feet apart and steeping low from the knees seems to make it easier to use _suiton_. Don't ask.  
My hands were flashing through more handseals as I wordlessly focused on my _Suiton – Tajuu Teppoudama no-jutsu_. The enemies all converged on our location – which was the point – so everyone was prepared for the bloodbath.  
Yukima and Touketsu were over on my right. Yukima with his swords unsheathed and already cutting through clones like a kid on a sugar rush in a pinata store, and Touketsu acting as his long range to stem the numbers of attackers.  
Koritetsu and Yukimaru were over on my left. Koritetsu being the swordsman and Yukimaru on long range.  
I sensed Aoba behind me, with Gan on his shoulder. I could tell from his determined chakra that he would not be sitting this out, so I just hoped that no enemy nins would be making it to his position.

There were sixteen clusters of bleeps in front of me – calling walking corpses bleeps makes it easier when they fall off the grid. Three of which were getting too close, so they were my current target. The first water bullet ripped through what I guessed was the leader of that cluster's skull. Luckily it didn't stop there and took out two of his followers. The second water bullet flew through another's chest, severing the arm of the bleep behind him mid bicep.  
The third and fourth bullets were special. I gave them way too much chakra and shot them into the another two clusters that were getting too close. The second they were in the exact center of the cluster, via the leader's chest cavity-

**BOOM!**

I would have smirked – I really wanted to, seeing that that was my favorite _jutsu_ – but that just alerted the other clusters to be more cautious. Well, it didn't matter. Another five or six rounds went off, exploding and essentially slaughtering the bleeps...  
But no matter what I did, or anyone of my team did... **#All clones?#** Poofs of smoke was the only thing we were rewarded with. This is getting dangerous! We simply don't know who – or what as the case might well be – we were dealing with! Who the hell could make this many clones and not go catatonic from the effort?  
**#Too dangerous! Flee!#** I signed to my team. I know they understood, but they were flatly refusing. They would never abandon me, least of all when I needed them most. **#Have plan. Go!#** They still refused, and Yukie was to the point of slapping me if the tenseness in her neck was any indicator.  
"Tsu! We. Fight!" Yukie ground out, never leaving my side. No! I'm not losing more people! Not again, not ever!  
Fine... then I'd just have to step this up to the next level... I hate having to, but I will not let them risk their lives to keep me safe. I never should have summoned them!  
**#COVER FIRE!#** I announced, praying they would just listen this time. I unsheathed my dual _katanas_, ready to unleash hell.

* * *

**~Flashback, Tatsuko age 8, First ANBU team mission without Tatsuhi.~**

"FALL BACK!" _Inu_ shouted. He didn't have to, I was already way ahead of him. I had could sense the bleeps on my our tail, and _Inu_ obviously didn't want to risk an altercation with them.  
Too bad _Iwa_ _shinobi_ don't really care if you fight or flee.  
We returned fire, doing our best to keep on the move. _Neko_ was in the lead, _Shirokuma_ at my side and _Inu_ was taking up the rear to make sure we got out alright. The farther we went, the more we-

WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE!

**~End Flashback.~**

* * *

**~Back in the real world.~**

My breathing was ragged, as it always is with when I get a flashback like that. So that was definitely triggered from with me – or my memory bank at least. The thing is...  
"A random trigger." I muttered. I've never had a random trigger before. It's always been triggered by my own queries, or by powerful emotion tied to it. That wasn't a _genjutsu_... it was a memory I can readily remember. Only... it wasn't triggered by the usual means...  
What does that mean?  
No one should be able to trigger one without intimate knowledge of the Living Library _Fuuin_. Knowledge that only a librarian would have. Or Hikaru, but it obviously can't be him.  
After getting my breathing under control again, I took in the scene. Yukie and the others had formed a defensive barrier around me, with Aoba himself holding me up like I was an invalid. I wanted to get upset, my pride demanded that I tell them off for protecting me like that – I could defend myself, dammit!  
I was going to! I was going to let them all have it! But my eyes met with Yukie's. Her eyes told me more than I wanted to hear. She's worried. They all were.  
"One of them knows too much." I spoke as clear as I could. "They used a _jutsu_ to enhance my fear, then somehow tripped a random trigger." That made no sense to Aoba, who just took it in stride. Yukie and the others though... they were a click South of freaking out! Not that I can blame them, seeing that I know what that could mean. If someone other than a Senju could trigger anything they wanted from the library... they could-  
'_No, no time to worry with it. I just need to deal with this and find out who is behind this whole mess._'  
It was pointless. By the time I got my breathing under control and stood up, I was hit with another-

**~Flashback, Yukikami Compound, Tsu age six.~**

"PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT, UCHIHA!" _Tou_-_chan_ wasn't running his team ragged – he was tearing them down. He wanted to bring them so far beyond what they could handle that they forgot they couldn't take any more. Said Uchiha looked like he was going to drop any second.  
"KITSUNAGA, IF YOU DROP THAT SWORD, I'LL BREAK YOUR ARM!" Poor Kenta looked like he couldn't feel his fingers, but somehow he managed to hold on to the _ninjato_ he was training with.  
"KOHAKU, YOU WANNA DUAL WIELD? THEN YOU WORK TWICE AS HARD TO HOLD THEM!" I could have sworn he dark skinned samurai would pass out on his feet. Still, he persisted.  
I still can't figure out how they survived that long against Tou-chan. Spar or no, Tou-chan doesn't go easy on anyone.

**~End Flashback.~**

Then another.

**~Flashback, Cafe somewhere in Konoha, Tsu age six.~**

"Uchiha, you suck. You know that?" I laughed when 'Karu announced that. Natsumi, Kenta and Yasei soon laughed too, once they figured out the joke.  
"I do?" He was surprised. Leave it to that moron to not figure it out. He looked down at his confection – which Natsumi 'made' him order – finding it empty. "Oh, you ate it all."  
"It's no fun if that's all you have to say." 'Karu gave in, ordering another one to replace the now empty glass.

**~End flashback.~**

Then another...

**~Flashback, Forest of Death, Tsu age nine.~**

"Can you stand?" Mikoto asked, no emotion in her voice at all. We'd been sparring for just under an hour, and she was at least as capable as _Tou_-_chan_. Honestly, I think I broke something. Maybe more than that.  
"..." I got up anyway, keeping all emotion away from my face. A trembling hand doesn't count.  
"Good. That is enough for today. You are going home, taking a shower and I am treating you to some ice cream." She was smiling. Even though I couldn't see her face, I heard it in her voice. "But first..." Her hands were already glowing green and she was coming closer to me, her attention on the angry bruises I felt forming on my leg and ribs.

Two hours later – I had enjoyed the soak in the tub way too much to end it early – I was being spoiled with a banana split supreme! Apparently I had impressed her enough for her to splurge on the most expensive treat the cafe had, and I deserved every spoonful of it!  
"You remind me so much of Emi-_chan_." She eventually said. Her voice wavered a bit when she said _Okaa_-_sama_'s name.

**~End flashback.~**

And... another...

**~Flashback, Senju District, Night of the Kyuubi attack.~**

A familiar voice was singing something. I don't understand what. I just know it hurts! Everything hurts! My short finger I like sucking on hurts. That little thing on my face hurts. And no matter how hard I cry, no one will make the pain go away, no one will pick me up.  
I feel a light, somewhere where I can't see. It's not bright, but it hurts. There's a-

/_"Hold it off until Yondaime-sama gets here!" A bright light filled my world, and something hurt me. I felt my skin burn, my eyes burned. Everything hurt. Someone was saying something, grabbing me as I fell... only for us to both get hit again by that painful light from the big kitty._/

The pain got worse. And worse. And worse. I cried harder. But no one came.

/_A big frog appeared, with a man with yellow hair on its head. I felt so happy to see him. I knew he would save us, he would stop the pain of my family, of my friends.  
__Only the man seemed so sad. He was holding something in his hands, a baby, just like me. Only this baby was smaller and he was sleeping.  
__A bright flash was fired off from the big kitty again, and I could hear people crying. So many people were crying and disappearing in the red and white light the kitty was throwing around.  
__Here comes another one, it's coming right at me! There's a girl I know next to me. No, two girls. I grab them and throw them away, "Ai, Raiko! Take care of everyone!" I shout out, then the light hits me. Pain hits me._/

Worserer. The pain won't stop, the light keeps hurting me. Who are these people I keep seeing? What is happening? I don't understand.

/_ "What are you doing? The Kyuubi is running rampant and you start a fight now?" I shouted. My voice is so deep, I can feel it rumbling in my chest and my head.  
__"Aww, Senju-teme doesn't want to play?" A man said. His black hair is long and spikey, his eyes are red with weird black dots in them. Three dots in each eye. He seems angry. So angry. Even though his voice is playful, his eyes are angry.  
__"PLAY? You aren't here to play!" I told him. I wish he was here to play though, it would help ease the pain. I'm tired of pain, I want the pain to stop.  
__"Oh? Aren't I? I could have sworn-" More pain, this time in my belly. I looked down and see a red. I like colors, like that soft thing Tou-chan let's me crawl on when we go play outside. It's pointy, but soft. It's not the same color as this though. No, this is like... that light from the kitty. That light that keeps giving me more and more pain. This is like that.  
__Only it doesn't hurt as much. This pain is less painful._/

What am I seeing? Who was that? He didn't seem very nice. What does everyone want to hurt me? Why is the kitty hurting me? Tou-chan let me play with a puppy once, with black hair and a funny thing over his eye. He was nice. He didn't hurt me.  
Why is everyone hurting me? Am I bad?

**~End flashback.~**

"... yukie..." I managed after having to relive the Senju massacre once again. The problem with the Living Library _Fuuin_... was that it automatically records every vital memory of any who bare the Senju clan seal up until mere seconds before their brain stops functioning.  
Yeah... that means just shy of ten minutes after a beheading. And longer with liver punctures. To know exactly how it feels to die a thousand times over. That is my fate. That is why I would sooner welcome death than fear it – it would literally set me free from this burden. Well, both burdens technically.  
"Tsu." Yukie was holding me up – one of my arms was draped over her shoulder. There were still a few dozen bleeps surrounding us, but their numbers were thinning out. Which did me no good, because I couldn't even stand on my own...  
"... what was it for...?" Training all my life like tomorrow would never come. I could have been the strongest _kunoichi_ that ever lived if I had kept at it at the pace _Tou_-_chan_ taught me to excel. "... the training... the fighting... everything... why...?"  
"Fear." Was all Yukie said. And she was right. _Tou_-_chan_ feared for my safety, so taught me to be stronger than those who would hurt me. I feared for my heart, so I trained instead of playing with other kids my age. And I am just a kid – even now. I'm only ten... err, twelve. I shouldn't...  
"EYES FRONT!" A familiar voice announced. I focused, noticing the _kunai_ flying right at me. Yukie was already moving to take the blade in her arm – as opposed to my neck. I tried to focus, to cast a _jutsu_... anything.  
I couldn't-

**~Flashback, Tsu and Yukie, age seven.~**

"Wind." Tsu said, holding up her right hand. "Water." Her left hand raised to the same level. Then she clapped her hands together, her fingers lacing together. "Ice."  
"I understand, Yukie. But how do I make ice without wind?" I sucked at futon. Badly. My suiton was alright, but the Yukikami would never accept me if I couldn't use _hyouton_! I need to-  
"Tsu. Focus." Yukie nudged my arm, trying to calm me down. "No. Wind. No. Ice." She shook her head from side to side, showing that there was no way to do it. I had to master wind before I could even attempt ice. Great.

**~End Flashback~**

**~Flashback, Tsu and Hikaru, the next day.~**

"You look like your dog just died." Karu teased, poking my nose with his chopsticks.  
"How would you feel-"  
"Just because Tsu can't use ice, doesn't mean that she's not strong." Karu interrupted my would be rant. "You still have sound, water and fire."  
A tear broke out before I could stop it. "... you don't get it. how can i call myself a yukikami if i can't-"  
"You're the one that doesn't get it." Karu just sat there, picking at his rice. "You are Yukikami AND Senju. You can choose which path to follow, or you can let life choose for you." When did he get so smart?  
"I. Am. A. Yukikami." I said. Why does remind me that I'm a Senju? I've never even met another Senju! Well, not one that's still alive.

**~End Flashback.~**

**~Flashback, Tsu and Kiba age seven, Kiba's birthday party.~**

"Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to yoooooooooooooo!" Kiba was staring at his cake. It wasn't the biggest, or the prettiest, but he was proud of it. He helped his mother bake it – and it looked it. The top was unlevel, the icing looked like someone was licking it and the candles were all in weird places. Weird, as in he stuck them in the side of the cake, saying that the wax wouldn't drop on the cake that way.  
Still, he couldn't be prouder of himself. And from the smile on Tsume-_san_'s face, she felt the same way. "Make a wish, pup." She said, offering him a lopsided grin. I rolled my eyes, never understanding this tradition. Wishes don't come true, it's a proven fact. Often someone would overhear you and act like they didn't know a thing when they give you exactly what you wished for.  
"I wish I was as strong as Tsu and Karu!" Kiba announced, blowing his candles – and spraying spit on the cake.  
"Ew! I'm not eating that!" I complained, wiping at a wet spot I felt on my forehead. Karu was already jumping up saying he'd eat my piece then. "Pig." Everyone laughed at the three of us. Well, not exactly a lot of 'everyone'. _Tou_-_chan_, Tsume-_san_, Hiashi-_san_, Kiba, Hinata, Karu and me. That was it. Kiba's sister couldn't make it, since she was sent out on a mission last minute.  
Still, there were smiles on the grown ups faces as they watched us arguing. Kiba and 'Karu were arguing who was getting the biggest piece, Hinata was just being her usual quiet self... and I simply refused anything that looked even remotely moist! Eww! The last thing I need is cooties before my shift starts!

**~End Flashback.~**

Fuck! That one was so intense that I actually felt the drop of spit that hit me! '_I'm useless! This is my mission, and I can't even fucking stand up!_' I wanted to say it, I really did. But I couldn't.  
Only, when my eyes finally focused again... "... kiba... you were... supposed... to keep... far... away..." I was gasping at every pause, trying as hard as I could to keep my cool... but...  
I was on my back, Yukie laying over me protectively... and Kiba on top of her, a trail of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. I didn't even have to guess to know what happened with the _kunai_ that nearly hit me. '_No... not again!_'  
His lips curled up into a smile. "Keh, and leave you have all the fun?" He made to get up, already reaching to pull out the _kunai_ that his his shoulder blade. I don't know how he kept his voice so even – any other _genin_ would have been freaking out! "Hinata! Any clue where they are?" She's here too? NO!  
"Get out of here! You're both going against orders! I'll have you-"  
"Shut up!" Kiba barked, Akamaru joining in too. "You might outrank me, but I do **NOT** let my friends die!" There was anger in his eyes... and compassion. How the hell did can he feel them both at once...?  
I looked around, trying to figure out how much of the battle I missed. Of my _Usagi_ team, only Yukie was left – the others must have used up all the energy they had protecting me. Aoba was still going strong, taking on six bleeps on his own. Hinata was on his flank, doing what she could to back him up, but leaving the actual fighting to him.  
And the bleeps were all be decimated. There were only the last si- scratch that, four left that Aoba was cleaning up now. How long was I out?

* * *

After everything was said and done, I was the only one to take any actual damage. Well, the only damage that Hinata couldn't heal.  
I managed to dislocated my shoulder and had three broken bones in one foot. I could still walk and, after Yukie helped pop my should back in place, I was able to fight. Though Hinata and Kiba both refused to accept that.  
"Nice try, little miss overachiever. You ain't going nowhere!" Kiba snatched me up, holding me piggy back style. I wanted to fume... but a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach stopped me – I blame puberty! Fucking hormonal bullshit.  
"Hinata, scan the area. We need to know about the others, and if there are any more enemies around." Aoba instructed. Well, dammit if he wasn't good at what he did.  
Minutes crawled by as Hinata scanned everything with her _doujutsu_. I wish I could control mine as well a she could hers.  
"The three ANBU already took out the others. All clones." I guess the severity of the situation helped mask her stutter. I'll have to tease her about that later.  
"So where is the clone factory?" And who the hell can make that many _Kage_ _Bunshin_? What the fuck? Over a hundred! And not one of them is the actual person!  
"Not in the building." Someone strong enough to churn out a hundred shadow clones, well informed about my being the librarian and how to use that... and smart enough to not actually be in this building, but knew we'd be here. This isn't good. What if this place is booby trapped?  
"Hinata, check for explosive tags, or trip wires." I told her, hoping we'd know before it was too late. Only, my eyes caught Yukie's... and there was... joy there?  
"I. Tired. I. Go." She said, making a single handseal and poofing back to her home.

"What the fuck?" Then I started scanning the others' eyes... finding the exact same sentiment there! "Okay, spill it! What the hell is going on?"  
Aoba found his tongue first. "Who do you know that can make shadow clones?" He asked.  
"Kakashi, Ebisu, Hikaru, _Saru_-_ji_-_chan_... and me. Why?" I wasn't that good with them, I could only make three before becoming light headed. Well, closer to thirty when under _Sanbi_'s influence.  
"Hinata, can you find him? You should know his signature best." Was all he said, not even hiding his smile. What the fuck is he so happy about? And why is Hinata blushing?  
Everything was silent as she started scanning more intently now. If my guess was right, she was scanning the surrounding area now. I could sense Willow, _Kage_ and _Uzu_ making their way towards us, questions in their eyes.

"What's the situation, _taichou_?" Willow asked.  
"I don't know, and no one seems to want to explain." I groused, pinching Kiba for good measure. He didn't seem to mind – oddly enough.  
"There!" Hinata pointed at something – it was just a wall as far as I could tell. We were about to head that way – not that I was in any position to argue, seeing that SOMEONE was refusing to let me walk. I could tell my team was getting curious, but the murderous look I gave them staved off any verbal questions... I could still see them signing things amongst themselves.

'_I'm never going to live this down... am I._'

* * *

Leaving the main building behind, Hinata led us to a cave entrance a few hundred meters away. I argued most of the way there. Telling, ordering, begging... Kiba only held me tighter every time. I could already tell that knocking him out was the only way to salvage my pride... yet I couldn't bring myself to do it.  
Once we entered the cave, I started asking what the hell was going on. No one would answer me. Jeez, so much for respecting a superior officer! ANBU _buntaichou_ only meant something in ANBU these days...

Five minutes into the cave, we got to a large cavern. There were again dozens, if not another hundred _shinobi_ strewn about with _kunai_ and swords drawn! I was already going through handseals, selecting the best spots to blow up the bigger groups.  
"STAND DOWN!" Aoba called out. I was about to chew him out for attempting to order me around... when...  
'_What the..._' The bleeps poofed out of existence.  
"Did it work?" A voice called out from deeper in the cavern. I activated my _doujutsu_, to see what the fuck was going on. None of this was making any damn sense!  
"LIKE A CHARM! SHE MIGHT STILL WANT TO KILL YOU THOUGH!" Aoba answered the voice. Seriously, what the hell?  
"Nah! She'll love me for it!" I could follow the voice this time. It still sounded like it was coming from the same spot... but the owner was throwing his voice. There were four people high up in the cavern, looking down at us. They were too far away for me to see much detail – let alone if I was in battle mode, I wouldn't have ever looked that far away.  
"who... are you...?" I didn't even know for sure I had said that out loud, until Kiba chuckled.  
"Let's go find out." He said, dashing for the wall.

I was half panicked – did he want to kill me? Could he already climb walls with my added weight? Not that I'm heavy! It's just... a few pounds more than he's used to. Just a few!  
When we got to the edge, I finally noticed that Hinata was the only one tagging along. Aoba, _Uzu_, _Kage_, Willow... they were staying behind. I didn't understand.  
Then Kiba and Hinata started climbing the walls using the tree climbing exercise. When did this happen? We were going up at the same speed they could run on regular – flat – ground. Then we reached the top. I had to deactivate my _doujutsu_, because something was messing with the soundwaves.  
There were four shinobi. Konoha _hitai_-_ate_, with the leader's covering his left eye. He had a gray mask covering the lower part of his face, white hair and an eye smile. The next also had white hair, no irises – just the pupils were visible. The next was a blond, blue eyes and had a goofy smile that made me want to slap him. The last was a blond haired, blue eyed girl.

I was now face to face with Kakashi and his team. Each smiling goofier than the last.

Tears were spilling before I could hope to stop it. Emotional training – all of it – was shot straight to hell. Kiba reached back and unhooked my _Usagi_ mask, handing it to Aoba.  
I felt numb. Like swimming under a frozen lake, numb. My eyes wouldn't move from Hikaru, scanning every inch to make sure he was okay. I felt my body moving closer towards them, not sure if I was walking or not. I just... was. It was like a dream when all you could do was observe. That's how it felt.  
I couldn't decide if I was relieved they were alright, pissed off that they put me through that... anything. I couldn't even breathe as I made my way to my little brother – I was afraid it was a mirage, a _genjutsu_... something. I didn't want to dispel it.  
"... 'karu...?" My voice was hoarse, my throat was dry. I didn't even have the energy to wipe away my tears.  
"Yeah, Tsu. It's me. You're boneheaded, annoying, cooties having little brother." He smiled, even as sympathy played across his face. He knew what he had put me through. "If it helps, it was his idea." He nodded at Naruto, who only smiled wider.  
I jumped at him, no longer caring about risks. I just wanted to hold him. Emotions – taboo though they were – welled up within me, blinding what was left of my logic. All I had left was the hope that this was real.  
My arms wrapped around him, sobs wracking my body rendering me incapable of putting up a defense if this was a trap. I couldn't even see anymore – tears blurring everything in the low light.  
The logical part of me was screeching that this was a trap, that my little brother was dead and the enemy was going to kill me next. And I couldn't care less.

I cried. And with every tear I held onto him a little tighter, refusing to let him go. My hands gripping his shirt – I'm amazed I didn't rip it. And I... just... cried.

**End Chapter 30**

* * *

_**A/N: Much shorter than my quota. MUCH! But this is the right place to end this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys the 'threads lay bare' of Tatsuko - she isn't the easiest person to make emotional with everything she's been through!  
Coming up though is a trilogy of chapters which are intended to be released at once: 'My name is Tsu', **__**'I'm coming home.',**_ and the final chapter of this arc _**'Lay straight, ye winding road'**_

_**For those who are following this story - which I assume anyone who reads chapter 30 of any story is - there is an update/warning on my profile page about the speed of updating. Read if you find interesting, otherwise don't worry.**_

_**RedRangerBelt! I love you girl! I hope this chapter, and more importantly the upcoming chapters, offer you the answers that must be bugging you! Yes, I know more questions will come, that's what I love about you :D**_

_**For those who think I overpowered Tsu/Tatsuko... well, maybe I did. Still, I think her emotional state balances that out a bit.**_

* * *

**Omake: Eye of the beholder!**

"Give me one good reason!" Tatsuko was pissed. Well, truly, honestly pissed! How the hell could Yuuna demand such a thing from her?  
"Stop being such a baby, _Nee_-_chan_. It won't kill you!" Yuuna countered, obviously not expecting this strong a reaction.  
"Won't kill you! Me I'm not so sure about..." The blond studied the... thing... in front of her.  
"_Nee_-_chan_, you're overreacting." Yuuna opined. Probably the only person alive that can say they've said that and walked away.  
"Am not!" ... "okay, maybe a little..." Yuuna smiled, already tasting victory.  
"Kiba would love it." That made sense, but then... anything with a pulse would. In her opinion at least.  
"Why this one? Don't you want-"  
"_Nee-chan_ promised me we could go shopping for anything I wanted. And I want this!" Tatsuko would have to start choosing her words with greater care...

They both looked at the dress once more. One more enthused than the other. Spaghetti straps, formfitting above the waist, fluffy below, everywhere pink... they both agreed it was the epitome of girly-ness. Only one of them liked that.  
"We aren't leaving until you try it on, _Nee_-_chan_!" Yuuna threatened, knowing that she could well entertain herself in a store like that for days on end. A fact that made the Senju's eye twitch.  
'_I'm soooooo getting you back for this..._'


End file.
